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Sunday, February 11, 2001
All-Star Sunday Viewer's Guide
ESPN.com
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So how strong is the West? Is it the best All-Star team ever? Well, when you tune in to watch the All-Star game on Sunday, know this: The East team has some players as well.
|  | | Last year teammates Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal shared the MVP trophy. |
Allen Iverson, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady aren't exactly chopped liver when it comes to putting the ball in the hoop. Dikembe Mutombo is certainly among the best at preventing others from scoring, and the East has enough ability to make things interesting. But will it be a close game? Probably not.
How much has the All-Star game really changed over the years? Obviously, players move from place to place and trends emerge. Is the West the stronger conference this season? Can't come up with a compelling argument that it isn't, but this isn't an 82-game grind on Sunday: It's a 48-minute funfest and the East can make it fun as well.
Here's our breakdown of the All-Star game:
Why to watch: Because most of the best players on the planet are on the floor at the same time, that's why. Sure, Shaquille O'Neal is mending from an injury, suggested East starters Alonzo Mourning and Grant Hill have been replaced and a slew of others are limping and aren't likely to log major minutes (Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant), but still, where else are you going to find so much talent in one place? Didja see last week's Clippers-Bulls game?
The point is there are so many endearing personalities here to watch, so why complain about who isn't here? Maybe you don't want to see an Anthony Mason or brooding Karl Malone, but they deserve to be here.
There are a bunch of interesting angles to this D.C. Classic, the third time the Washington area has been the host. For one, Carter and McGrady will be on the same court again, after playing together for years in Toronto. Two, the West has more big men than the East can handle, and one healthy point guard (Jason Kidd) to get them the ball (Gary Payton is hurting).
But our favorite reason is the little guy for the East, the amazing Allen Iverson. He'll be manning the point in this game with McGrady and Carter playing the swing positions to start, and Iverson with the ball in his hands is always exciting.
Records that could fall: Some think the West team is so loaded that it could approach the record for most points in a game. But not with Dikembe Mutombo protecting the basket they won't. The record is 154 points, by the way. In terms of individual scoring, we think Iverson is going to have a big night, but the record of 42 points by Wilt Chamberlain and rebounds (27 by Bob Pettit) are safe. The West won last season and Tim Duncan shared MVP honors with Shaquille O'Neal. The West frontcourt had a big game, and should again. But they won't set records.
We'll be happy if...: ...Iverson, Vince and co. can keep this game competitive into the fourth period. Also, since the big dunkers for the weekend are in this game and not performing Saturday, we wouldn't mind seeing a few highlights for SportsCenter.
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All-Star Saturday Viewer's Guide
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