Does Team LeBron or Team Durant have the edge in the 2022 All-Star Game?
2022 All-Star Game:
• Watch live: Tonight on TNT & TBS (8 p.m. ET)
• Game Info: Matchup, stats & preview
• Infographic: 71st All-Star Game
• Rosters: Team Durant vs. Team LeBron
It’s the All-Star Game, so it’s impossible to predict what will happen. Regardless, which team do you think will win the 2022 All-Star Game in Cleveland? And who will win The Kobe Bryant Trophy as the Kia NBA All-Star Game MVP?
Steve Aschburner: Team LeBron to win the game, Karl-Anthony Towns to take home the MVP. You see what I did there, right? Hedged my bet. Towns plays for Team Durant, which won’t even have Kevin Durant, but he said after the Timberwolves’ pre-All Star finale that he wants to snag the MVP award. And in a game where a lot of participants hope to show up, acknowledge the fans and their peers and get out without injury, setting a goal like that means something. His biggest competition might come from Darius Garland over on Team LeBron, given the tradition of MVPs coming from the host city’s team. As for the game, that Team LeBron starting lineup – with nine career NBA MVP seasons represented, and three or four top ballot guys for 2022’s award – appears way too formidable to lose. Note: That doesn’t mean Towns would necessarily be out of luck to win the trophy in a losing effort. The first All-Star Game I covered – as a college kid – was in Milwaukee in 1977. It was Julius Erving’s first ASG after the NBA/ABA merger. So even though Paul Westphal was the game’s most impactful player, his West squad won 125-124 and I voted for him, Dr. J walked off with the MVP trophy after scoring 30 points in 30 minutes for the losing side.
#TeamDurant or #TeamLeBron #KiaWhoYaGot: https://t.co/OPj5mTkyg5 pic.twitter.com/3oyrnP3Ctf
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 20, 2022
Mark Medina: I’ll apply the old adage that has been relevant for over the past decade. Never bet against LeBron James. Maybe it’s good to bet against the Lakers’ championship fortunes this season given all the turbulence they have experienced. But as far as the All-Star Game? I trust that things will go James’ way. Ever since James has become one of the All-Star’s captains, Team LeBron has gone 4-0 in the All-Star Game. No reason to think James can’t extend that streak. James selected the NBA’s best shooter (Stephen Curry), the most athletic big man (Giannis Antetokounmpo) and the best passing big man (Nikola Jokic). James has players that will produce instant offense (DeMar DeRozan, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell). James has players that will remain ultra competitive even in an All-Star game (Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler). James has hometown favorites eager to represent Cleveland well (Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen). And, oh, yeah, the 37-year-old James hasn’t lost a step when he has played this season.
Even though James has more important games that await him in the second half of the NBA season, I also suspect that LeBron will be named the game’s MVP. James will be able to thread the needle between passing to his All-Star teammates and scoring against the typically poor defenses shown in All-Star games. James will become inspired from the nostalgia with returning to Cleveland for a third time. And in a Lakers season filled with few positive moments, James will cling toward adding another piece of hardware to his sterling resume.
Check out the best regular-season plays from the players on Team LeBron in 2022.
Shaun Powell: Team LeBron James is simply too loaded and stocked against Team Kevin Durant, and it’s partly because KD is injured and can’t play to help the cause of his own team. Plus, LeBron is undefeated as a captain in this game. Finally, if it’s close at the finish, who can stop Steph Curry, LeBron, Giannis and Nikola Jokic? It just makes too much sense, just like LeBron grabbing the MVP award in his return to Cleveland (although Ja Morant will put on a show for the losing team).
John Schuhmann: Team LeBron, with DeMar DeRozan (the league’s most efficient iso scorer) as MVP. It’s his year.
Check out the best regular-season plays from the players on Team Durant in 2022.
Michael C. Wright: It’s definitely a fun matchup, featuring several players that should be highlight machines for an All-Star Game. But take a long look at the rosters: Team LeBron has way more star power than Team Durant, not to mention both the reigning Kia MVP and All-Star MVP in Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, respectively. So, this one could turn out to be a lopsided affair. I’m pulling for DeMar DeRozan to walk away with the Kobe Bryant Trophy, but more than likely Antetokounmpo wins his second straight All-Star MVP because the man is going to play this game hard like it’s playoff game.
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