Lay the Points

NBA All-Star Weekend is here. Will you be watching? My guess is no, as most people will find something better to do with their time. In my estimation, every sport’s all-star weekend has been diluted due to the fact that there are so many games on TV. And with all of the satellite packages, you can watch any team any night for a price. Plus, having Sportscenter and two additional highlight shows for each sport pretty much assures the typical fan that he will exposed to the maximum amount of game coverage.

Back in the 80s and early 90s, the all-star games for basketball and baseball were looked at as main event instead of just the fun and games they are now. Mostly because it was a gathering of the best of the best. Now, some of the stars sit out of the games, refuse to participate in any of the skill competition lest it hurt their regular season production, or simply play but play without fire and emotion.

When technology was a little slower, and you couldn’t email your friends every five minutes while at work, a great deal of sports news was transferred by word of mouth. (Did you see that dunk in the Sonics game last night? That Kemp guy is amazing! I can’t wait to see him play in the all-star game.) Now, everyone has seen everything immediately after it happens. There is no room for excitement to build. You’ve been there, done that.

The NBA All-Star break’s main game is a defense-free, up-and-down game with plenty of scoring and ample highlight reel dunks. But the flow of the game seems to involve no strategy and little chemistry. Only a Clockwork Orange-like restraint will keep your attention on the game for more than ten solid minutes.

Saturday night, they offer the Slam Dunk Contest, Skills Competition, and Three Point Contest. While these exhibitions can be quite amusing, they tend to drag on for too long. The dunk and three point contests can be two rounds shorter. Also, the individual rounds can take up less time. Watching people dunk for an hour is absurd.

The best part of the weekend is tonight’s game, The Rookie Challenge. First year players against second year players. In this game, all of the guys are playing hard, trying to win and showcase their skills. Everyone wants to be the next best things. Everyone wants the post-game buzz to be about them. Some of the players don’t even get much face time on their own teams, so this is a time to shine.

After tonight’s game, you can take the rest of the weekend away. I don’t need it. But, I still will make my picks:


Rookie Challenge
Winner: Sophomores - Bigger, faster, stronger, better.

Skills Challenge
Participants: Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, Deron Williams

Winner: Chris Paul - For those who don’t know, he’s the next Dwayne Wade, and will leave Wade in his dust.

Slam Dunk Contest
Participants: Gerald Green, Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay, Jamario Moon
Winner: Dwight Howard - Has shown his creativity in previous dunk contests. This is his year to take home the crown.

Three Point Contest
Participants: Dirk Nowitzki, Daniel Gibson, Richard Hamilton, Jason Kapono, Steve Nash, Peja Stojakovic
Winner: Daniel Gibson - He may look 14, but he shoots like a veteran.

All-Star Game
Winner: East - They’ll just shoot (and make) more threes than the West.