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Friday, February 9, 2001
Five All-Star questions
ESPN.com
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You've got questions, we've got answers. ESPN's NBA experts were asked five of the biggest questions surrounding All-Star Weekend in Washington, D.C. Here's what they said:
1. Which first-time All-Star will make the biggest impression?
Dr. Jack Ramsay |
Tracy McGrady is the only starter of the five players, so he has the best opportunity to make a huge impression. He will get definite minutes because he will start the game and probably the third period. If he is playing well, he may finish with 25-30 minutes. The other players, as reserves, have the potential to have spectacular games, but McGrady has the best chance.
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David Aldridge |
I expect McGrady to make the biggest impression this weekend. He'll handle the ball more than most of the others with the chance to go to the hoop often. He'll also have the opportunity to go up and down the floor more than some of the guys on the West squad.
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Ric Bucher |
Stephon Marbury will probably make the biggest impression. This is his kind of event. If you look at the matchups, Marbury will have a speed advantage against just about everybody on the West roster. And in the backcourt, paired with Allen Iverson, they will present a formidable challenge. |
Fred Carter |
Usually, the big men don't have an impact in All-Star Games; they favor the little guys. Players who can dribble-drive, penetrate and handle the ball thrive in these games. So Marbury and McGrady will have the biggest impact. The guards control this game, and they won't feel compelled to get the ball into the post. They'll play one-on-one, and it will be the little guys' game. |
2. Which injured star will be missed the most?
Dr. Jack Ramsay |
Shaquille O'Neal. He's the dominant center in the league and, when he's 100 percent, arguably the best player in the league. If he's not playing, he will be missed the most. Kobe Bryant will play. I don't see how he would miss the game.
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David Aldridge |
Clearly, it'll be Shaq. There's never been anyone like him. He's a huge presence when he's in the game, and he'll leave a huge hole when he isn't playing.
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Ric Bucher |
It's gotta be Shaq Daddy. There's nobody in the NBA with his presence. He'll be at the event, of course, but his absence from the court affects the balance of power inside between the East and the West teams. Nipping at his heels as the most missed, naturally, would be Kobe, if he weren't going to play. Kobe or Shaq? Like every other story in the NBA.
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Fred Carter |
The East is going to miss Alonzo Mourning since they're so lacking in size. The West will be able to control the paint and the game. The East, coming out with a small team, will be trying to push the ball up the floor and, even though this game is more open than usual, still have to shoot the ball well with the absence of an interior presence.
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3. Which weekend matchup are you looking forward to watching?
Dr. Jack Ramsay |
Kobe vs. McGrady. Kobe is an excellent defender, depending on how he approaches the game. He is banged up and may not want to go full bore. But if both players are at the top of their games, that will be a terrific matchup, the best one in Sunday's game.
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David Aldridge |
I'm interested to see how the rookies will do against the second-year players on Saturday. I suspect the "veterans" will have their way with the rooks, but you never know. There's plenty of unpolished talent in that game, and it will be fun to watch.
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Ric Bucher |
I'm looking for the all-Euro three-point shooting contest. I'm real excited to see Predrag Stojakovic and Dirk Nowitzki go head-to-head. That event is the one pure contest that both the fans and the best players still get hyped up about and consider a test of honor. It's still a legitimate skill and attracts the best shooters. It also says something about the league that the two best shooters are European.
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Fred Carter |
The matchup that I really like over the weekend is in the 2-Ball competition. I like the way the women come out and shoot the ball. The women have done themselves proud in the past few years and, coming from a guy who coached women in college, I have a real affinity for their game. This is a big showcase for them to show they belong. Like last year, I look for the women to carry the load of the shooting in this competition.
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4. Who, like Vince Carter last year, will be remembered the most from All-Star Saturday?
Dr. Jack Ramsay |
Baron Davis. He has all the physical tools, and he's been around a year. So I think he will have a little more composure than one of the younger players in the Slam-Dunk contest. Davis can really elevate and is extremely athletic. As the smallest of the six competitors at 6-foot-3, his stature will make him look even more spectacular.
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David Aldridge |
I think DeShawn Stevenson in the dunk contest is going to open a lot of eyes. He's a player nobody really knows a lot about, but he has major hops. People are really going to enjoy watching him fly.
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Ric Bucher |
I'm hearing that Corey Maggette has an extra-special dunk arsenal prepared. After seeing him tip-dunk a missed free throw against the Bulls -- essentially jumping over a player, a la Vince Carter over Frederic Weis in the Olympics (it was waved off, but showed incredible leaping ability) -- I'm thinking Maggette might walk away having everybody's attention.
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Fred Carter |
I think the best competition of All-Star Saturday is going to be in the three-point shooting contest and the two Europeans are poised to break out. I guarantee that basketball fans will know Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic before the day is through. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone is going to break out in the dunk competition because there really aren't any players who are close enough to being elite in the league. Nowitzki and Stojakovic are two of the best shooters in the league. It will be great to see them Saturday probably going head-to-head for the title.
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5. Who will win the All-Star Game and what kind of game do you expect?
Dr. Jack Ramsay |
The West should win another high-scoring game typical of most All-Star games. They have considerably better talent than the East. The West dominate the East in the front line, particularly at forward, where the West has too many guns. And with Jason Kidd and Kobe as starters and Gary Payton as a reserve, the West is superior in the backcourt as well.
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David Aldridge |
I expect the West to win by a fairly large margin. Scoring 150 points is not out of the question, although the West will certainly give up a ton of points as well. But even without Shaq, it's going to be hard to stop the kind of firepower the West will put on the floor.
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Ric Bucher |
The power is in the West, and I think it will stay in the West. I have to believe this isn't going to be an overly-defensive struggle. The West will take it, 132-128.
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Fred Carter |
It's going to be a Western Conference win. If the East can push the ball up the floor offf every missed shot, they might be able to keep it close. But it will take them running the West into the ground. If the West can control the tempo at all, the East has no chance.
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