NBA All-Star Weekend has grown over the years. Even with the inconsistent appeal of the Slam Dunk Contest, no other professional sports league has a better collection of all-star events. The festivities got underway Friday night in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre with the Rising Stars Challenge, but things will kick into high gear Saturday night.
You can watch all of the weekend's events on TNT or live stream on Watch TNT, except the NBA Developmental League All-Star Game. That will take place at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum. It can be seen on NBA TV and NBA TV Canada at 2 p.m. ET.
Here's a lineup of the events from the Air Canada Centre with times, participants and predictions. An asterisk is placed by the player or team predicted to win the event.
Skills Challenge
When: Feb. 13 | All-Star Saturday Night | 8:30 p.m. ET | 1st Event
+Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver Nuggets
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics*
Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers
+ Replaces Patrick Beverley (injured), per NBA.com
Three-Point Contest
When: Feb. 13 | All-Star Saturday Night | 8:30 p.m. ET | 2nd Event
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
James Harden, Houston Rockets
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers*
+C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
+ Replaces injured Chris Bosh, per ESPN.com.
Slam Dunk Contest
When: Feb. 13 | All-Star Saturday Night | 8:30 p.m. ET | 3rd Event
Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves*
Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
Will Barton, Denver Nuggets
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
65th NBA All-Star Game
When: Feb. 14, 8:30 p.m. ET
Western Conference All-Stars*
Starters
Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Reserves
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers
James Harden, Houston Rockets
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Eastern Conference All-Stars
Starters
Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
Paul George, Indiana Pacers
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
Reserves
Pau Gasol, Chicago Bulls (replaced injured Jimmy Butler)
John Wall, Washington Wizards
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks (replaced injured Chris Bosh)
DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks
Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
The Winners
Go with the Little Guy
Picking a winner of the Skills Challenge is a crapshoot. Just about anyone in the contest seems like a legitimate threat. That said, the Boston Celtics' Isaiah Thomas would appear to have a huge advantage when it comes to ball-handling and speed—though the Portland Trail Blazers' C.J. McCollum is a threat.
Thomas should be among the best shooters in the contest as well, and when you throw in his speed, he's the most sensible prediction.
Redick Will Crash the Splash Brothers' Party
Every guy in the three-point shootout is a great shooter. Winning comes down to getting hot at the right time, endurance and clutch shooting. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors are obviously amazing shooters who have proved themselves in every way over the past three seasons.
That said, those guys have dealt with enormous pressure all season as they chase history and attempt to defend their NBA championship. In this exhibition, it's easy to see one or both of them having a rare off night.
That will open the door for another competitor, and no one is better suited to seize the opportunity than the Los Angeles Clippers' J.J. Redick. His stroke is quick and smooth and doesn't require much effort. He'll come through with a victory over Thompson in the finals.
LaVine Will Repeat
Watching the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest to see who will win is like watching a foot race between Usain Bolt and Peyton Manning and pretending the latter has a chance to pull the upset.
If you watch Bolt blow past Manning, it would be to see how badly he smokes the slow-footed quarterback and how stylish he looks in the process. That's how you should watch the Slam Dunk Contest, only the Minnesota Timberwolves' Zach LaVine is Bolt in this analogy.
LaVine is going to repeat. The Detroit Pistons' Andre Drummond, Orlando Magic's Aaron Gordon and Denver Nuggets' Will Barton might throw down a few impressive slams, but none of them figures to have an arsenal of jams like LaVine.
He could probably do the same stuff he did last year and win again. He's on another level when it comes to dunking, and the only guys who could potentially challenge him aren't in the contest: the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James and the Miami Heat's Gerald Green.
The West Will Rule
No one will play defense in the All-Star Game until the final quarter, but by the time the last period rolls around, the Western Conference's three-point shooting will have driven that squad to a big lead. Most probably that means Curry will have gone bananas from beyond the arc.
It's totally possible, but look out for Thompson getting hot. He's capable of crazy scoring binges, and he's the pick here for All-Star Game MVP as the West wins in a rout.
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