It is that point of the NBA season, yet again. All-Star weekend is upon us. The official game is fun to watch but it is all about the celebrity all-star game, 3-point competition, the dunk competition, and the skills challenge. It doesn't get much more exciting than that. It is a nice little break in the action for a couple of days. Teams get some downtime and recovery time. Which is good, as the NBA season can be quite grueling. On the other side, teams are looking at moving players or shopping for that one missing piece that could help lead them to a championship. Many teams are looking towards improving in order to give the Cleveland Cavaliers or Golden State Warriors a run for their money. Perhaps, the Cavs or Warriors are still looking towards separating themselves from the pack even further. Regardless, there are lots of headlines surrounding the all-star weekend itself, and up till the end of the regular season.
Russell Westbrook vs. The Warriors
Things could be a tad awkward this all-star weekend with Russell Westbrook having to be on the same team with former teammate Kevin Durant. In addition to that he will have to play alongside other Warriors players such as Draymond Green, Play Thompson, and Steph Curry. There is clearly not much love between the Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. To make matters worse Russell and the remaining Warriors do not seem to be the best of pals either. Head coach of the Warriors, Steve Kerr, is also the head coach for the Western Conference team. There will be a lot of awkwardness going around and perhaps a little bit of hostility. Just in the press conferences alone, it does not seem like Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant plan on speaking over the weekend. It will be comical to watch the game on Sunday and see what happens when the Warriors and Russell Westbrook play on the same team.
The Carmelo Anthony Sweepstakes
Where will Melo be come the NBA trade deadline on February 23rd? It is tough to say. He does have the no trade clause in his contract, so if he ends up being moved he would have to be okay with the trade. That means the Clippers or the Cavs may be the only potential landing spots. Carmelo is at the point in his career where he would only like to play with his boys Chris Paul or LeBron James. The Cavs have made it clear that they do not want to deal Kevin Love. They can't even if they wanted to with Kevin Love's injury. Talks have been halted with the Clippers as well. It sounds like Boston is interested, but it is doubtful that Carmelo would be interested in that. It might be the best option for him to get on a NBA championship caliber team. When all is said and done, Carmelo will most likely be in a Knick uniform for the remainder of the season. I doubt that the Knicks will want to just give away their best player.
Compete in the East
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still the favorites to come out of the east and make it to their third straight NBA Finals. It would be hard to go against that theory. Teams in the east are looking towards making moves to better their roster in hopes to matching up better with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Toronto Raptors traded for Serge Ibaka this past week. He will definitely will make an impact and he could definitely create some mismatches. He can extend the floor with his shooting and is a great rim protector. I would not be surprised if the Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics, or Indiana Pacers add some pieces before the trade deadline in order to better their rosters to match up better with with the Cavs.
The rich get richer
Will the Cavs or Warriors still add a piece or two to set them them even further ahead of the competition? The Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert, has given management the green light to spend even more if they have to in hopes of bettering the roster. The Cavs have also added the former first round pick, Derrick Williams to their roster. He is there on a 10 day contract. I wouldn't be surprised if the Cavaliers do not add a back up point guard to Kyrie Irving. That seems to be the missing piece. As far as the Warriors are concerned, I do not foresee them making any significant trades. They may try to add a veteran player. They have a pretty solid roster as is.
Competition in the West
Will teams in the west make some improvements to their roster in hopes to take down the mighty Warriors. The Clippers, Rockets, Grizzlies, and even the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking at possibilities. The Thunder could instantly improve with an addition or two of outside shooters. Russell Westbrook could use the help. The Spurs are also in a solid position. They may look at adding someone, but they would have to be one of the favorites to have a chance at taking down the Golden State Warriors.
There are lots of questions going into the All-Star break. Before we know it, a lot of those questions will be answered. Enjoy all of the excitement that comes with All-Star weekend and look forward to a very exciting ride toward the end of the NBA season.
