The draft order was determined by a flip of the coin, with Keith calling heads and the coin coming up tails. Jack has the first pick.
Pick #1
Team Jack: LeBron James (16th selection, 2005-2020)
Jack: This first pick was a no brainer. Regardless of the circumstances, All-Star or not, the goal is still that W.
So with that, I took one of the most accomplished players to ever play on the basketball court who has three rings to his name. Even at age 35 LeBron is still playing like he is 25 in season 15. He is one of the best all around players in the league and can slide in anywhere position wise, 1-5.
With Bron’s versatility it makes drafting a team after/around him so much easier going forward. With one of the best basketball IQs the game has ever seen this was an easy choice as to who I wanted leading my all-star squad.
Team Keith: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Fourth selection, 2017-2020)
Keith: Much respect to Jack for his selection of LBJ first overall, but I was absolutely THRILLED to snag The Greek Freak with my first selection.
Giannis is an absolute beast athletically on the basketball court and in the open court there’s pretty much no one that can stop him. I’m liking the Milwaukee Bucks this season to go to the finals, and the biggest reason for that is the dominance of Giannis on both ends of the floor.
Pick #2
Team Jack: Luka Dončić (First selection)
Jack: Pick #2 was another easy choice. In the middle of a season that sees him in the thick of the MVP race, Luka has been a stud.
With his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands, my squad will be able to roam the floor freely. Luka creates a lot of problems for defenses with his court vision and ability to get to the rim.
With defenses having to key in on him possession after possession this will free up the lane for his teammates. Luka’s catch and shoot abilities are also something that will keep defenses honest if Bron or someone else brings the ball up the floor.
Team Keith: James Harden (8th selection, 2013-2020)
Keith: I have to admit, I was pretty upset I didn’t get a stab at Luka. But James Harden is a fantastic consolation prize.
His 35-36 percent three-point accuracy will come in handy as well as his ability to simply break down a half court defense without any effort. He’s a perennially undervalued passer too, averaging a shade over 7 assists per game this season.
Harden’s beard is powerful, and his game is strong. I’m happy to pair him with Giannis.
Pick #3
Team Jack: Kawhi Leonard (Fourth selection, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020)
Jack: After Keith selected two absolute lethal scorers, I thought I would counter with one of the best defenders in the league.
Yes, I know that almost zero defense is played in the all-star game. But with Kawhi on the floor to defend, whoever he is guarding will have to take their foot slightly off the gas.
Outside of this, it doesn’t hurt that Kawhi has been averaging almost 28 points and 8 rebounds this year. He will be just another guy who can go to work when called upon. With a squad that will have a lot of ball handlers, Kawhi is another underrated option who can do a lot of things without the ball in his hands.
Team Keith: Anthony Davis (7th selection, 2014-2020)
Keith: With Jack snagging the robot dressed as a human (have you seen him laugh?), I was stoked to see AD was still on the board. Davis is a positional nightmare for anyone to guard, though I’d have to guess Kawhi would be Jack’s play.
Anthony Davis’s ability to score the ball in multiple ways and his 2.5 swats per contest should come in handy, with efficient scoring on 50.5 percent field goal percentage this season. I’ll be happy to have him man the middle for my team, though I hear his preference would be to play the 4…