Dallas Mavericks: NBA All-Star Game re-pick and re-draft

Reserves

Anthony Davis – Team Giannis

KR: This wasn’t a hard choice. Even though AD has given the NBA more than enough drama, there is no doubt that he is the best player in the group of reserves. His playmaking ability all around the court paired with his rim protection makes him a force to be reckoned with. Firepower and defense is the name of this team.

Klay Thompson – Team LeBron

ES: You can’t have enough shooting in today’s world, and Thompson’s ridiculously quick release and unparalleled range will stretch a defense to a breaking point. Perhaps the only weakness of any kind in the starting lineup is a truly lethal shooter other than Durant. Thompson satisfies this need and provides another on-ball defender.

Bradley Beal – Team Giannis

KR: Beal is not an elite defender, but he is very good. He is also an excellent scorer and he does just about everything well. The strength of this team is in the wings and Beal adds to that well. Being able to give guys a rest and maybe even stepping in at the end of games in place of Kemba would be the key role for Beal.

Damian Lillard – Team LeBron

ES: Backing up Kyrie Irving with Damian Lillard will give me a tremendous scoring presence at point guard throughout the entire game. Few people can find their stroke the way Lillard can, and between him and Thompson, the second unit will be shooting the lights out in this matchup. Lillard, Irving, and Harden give me three tremendous ball handlers who can set up others offensively.

Luka Doncic – Team Giannis

KR: C’mon now there’s no way he can drop any lower than this right? Surround Luka with some elite scorers and sit back and enjoy the game. Luka’s playmaking ability is already one of the best in the league. If you can pair that with some guys that will make every play count, you’ve got something special. Luka would mesh with this team perfectly who can highlight his offensive prowess and cover up some of the defensive woes.

Nikola Jokic – Team LeBron

ES: In the present day NBA, having as much talent on the wings as possible is paramount. That makes adding a player as effective as Nikola Jokic an incredible luxury this late in the draft. Arguably the best passing center in the NBA, Jokic will terrorize the defense with high-low actions and can find cutting wing players to the basket at will.

Karl-Anthony Towns – Team Giannis

KR: I flip-flopped on this one, but KAT is an elite athlete that is young but plays with energy and ability that is hard to find. I like having a big that can stretch the floor and, between him, AD and Embiid, the shooting for this team will be in good hands.

Blake Griffin – Team LeBron

ES: Griffin has quietly had a spectacular season for the Pistons. Another 26 points per game for a bench that already includes Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard is going to cement the bench being the better of the two units offensively. Griffin can also combine with Damian Lillard on lethal two-man schemes.

Khris Middleton – Team Giannis

KR: A perfect Robin to Giannis’ Batman, Middleton is a great player in many different areas. His shooting has been fantastic this year which will be his primary role with this team. He will be getting limited minutes based on the 9 guys in front of him.

Victor Oladipo – Team LeBron

ES: Oladipo is a willing defender, who will be selfless offensively. At this point in the rotation, you’re getting into players that will be brought in if the first two units are getting their heads handed to them. While he can be a bit of a black hole offensively, he has himself an uncanny ability to sprint in the open floor, which will be nasty on fast breaks.

Eric Bledsoe – Team Giannis

KR: Bledsoe is a hard-nosed player that has done really well in a lot of different areas this year. His defense has improved, his slashing is still great and his rebounding and passing are both solid as well. Giannis may be re-making the Bucks starting lineup, but continuity is never a bad thing.

Russell Westbrook – Team LeBron

ES: You can do a lot worse than adding a walking triple double to your bench. Westbrook has experience playing with Oladipo, and at the very least can come off the bench and dish out five assists, snag eight rebounds, and provide a noticeable change of pace. Lillard will come off the bench for Irving first, but Westbrook is right behind him.

Ben Simmons – Team Giannis

KR: I had no need for another center and, although I am questionable about whether or not Ben Simmons is deserving of an All-Star bid this year, he fits the team fairly well. His defense is pretty good and, although he can’t shoot at all, his passing and rebounding will be important to the team. In the end, he is a good fit.

Nikola Vucevic – Team LeBron

ES: Vucevic and Griffin are going to spell Jokic well. I felt there was a little bit of depth lacking at the center position, so adding another foreign star will help here. Vucevic can’t be contained on the glass, and has a very old school game that will mesh well with Thompson’s floor spacing.

Dirk Nowitzki – Team Giannis

KR: You knew I wasn’t going to end up with Dwyane Wade.

Dwyane Wade – Team LeBron

ES: While there isn’t much remaining of Dwyane Wade, he can still provide small spurts of effectiveness on offense. He’s a bit of a liability defensively at this stage of his career, but he can still force his way into the paint at a decent clip and has slowly become a better shooter with time. Wade’s three rings will come in handy as well as an experienced cog off the bench.

After polling the rest of The Smoking Cuban staff, the results were close but the voters believed that Team Giannis would win in a tight battle against Team LeBron. With a game like this that would actually matter, it really could go either way.