Following some scintillating performances on Saturday, videos of the snowfall and greyed-out skies in Indianapolis will be more than misleading come Sunday night when the stars shine bright inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the 73rd edition of the NBA All-Star Game.
Basketball has always been important in Indiana. From the storied college basketball rivalries of Indiana and Purdue and the undefeated Larry Bird-led 1978-79 Indiana State Sycamores to the Pacers’ dynasty in the ABA and Reggie Miller’s iconic playoff runs in the late ’90s, Indiana has established itself as a basketball state through and through.
Once again, basketball is reaffirming its stranglehold in Indiana, kicking Peyton Manning and the legacy he built with the Colts out of the top spot. The NBA even took over Lucas Oil Stadium for their Saturday festivities. With the comeback of the All-Star Game, the spotlight on the NBA is brighter than ever, and with this many intersecting storylines under one roof, that shine should only grow come Sunday night.
Here’s a look at some of the most intriguing storylines as the All-Star Game returns to one of basketball’s most beloved states. You can watch the feature matchup on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ at 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT.
The Return of East vs. West
Sticking with the topic of history and tradition, the 2024 edition of the annual exhibition match will ditch the draft and return to the East vs. West format left back in 2017. They’ll also do away with the fourth quarter target score or Elam ending to decide the outcome of the game.
No draft means no more tampering, no more reading between the lines for potential future pairings, and no more fun foreshadowing like we had when Giannis Antetokounmpo drafted Damian Lillard with his first reserve pick over then-teammate Jrue Holiday in last year’s event.
When the change was announced in October, commissioner Adam Silver said that the theme for this year’s All-Star Game is “back to basketball,” highlighting a desire for the annual festivities to shift their focus back to the game rather than the added frills.
Concerns with the more-of-the-same feeling and overall declining quality of the product of the game itself have arisen in recent years, with many complaining that the weekend is losing its lustre.
Defence has become more optional than ever, but could a return to an old format re-inspire efforts from players? Will conference pride play a part in teams putting in that extra work or will the reversion be for naught?
LeBron and Steph show off what could’ve been
When ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a bomb that the Golden State Warriors had reportedly inquired about LeBron James ahead of this year’s trade deadline, the first thought that most had was likely “Which Woj parody account tweeted this?” The second thought though, after discovering it was all too real was probably along the lines of “How good could they really be together?” and of course “How does this affect LeBron’s legacy?”
Well, one of those questions has a simple, objective answer: They would be so, so good together.
Lucky for NBA fans, with the All-Star Game reverting back to the East vs. West format, James and Curry will pair up once more, giving people a taste of just how league-shattering a move like that could be.
They’ve paired up before in the All-Star Game. James selected his fellow Akronite third overall in both the 2021 and 2022 All-Star Draft. They were a force in the latter game, with Curry scoring a ridiculous 50 points while knocking down a record-setting 16 three-pointers and James picking up 24 of his own to help secure a three-point win.
How they would look in the All-Star Game versus how it would look in a game with more at stake are different things, but the prospect of Curry’s incomparable shooting ability and James’ physical dominance and basketball IQ probably doesn’t stray too far away from exhibition game levels of production.
The report from Wojnarowski no doubt filled minds with hypotheticals of rings galore, and with James set to become a free agent after this season, will the All-Star Game be a taste of what could be?
Do the forgotten Eastern Conference guards play with a chip on their shoulder?
Cast aside by the fan, media and player vote, there are a few guards in the East that have reason to prove people wrong on Sunday.
When stalwart Damian Lillard was named as a starter in the backcourt for the Eastern Conference, chants of “snub” rang aloud for guys like New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson or Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell. Some even made a case for the widely disrespected Atlanta Hawks offensive engine Trae Young.
All three have a case to be mad at their placement on the bench for Sunday’s game, as statistically, it’s hard to argue that Lillard is having a better season than any of them.
Of the four, Lillard is last in points (24.6), field goal percentage (42.3), three-point percentage (34.1), box plus-minus (1.9) and value over replacement player (1.8). And though his Bucks sit third in the Eastern Conference, their record (35-21) should mostly be attributed to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominance, making Lillard the only second-option of the four players.
Brunson is a first-time all-star, Mitchell scored 40 in last year’s game, and Trae Young might have the biggest chip of all, having only made the game by way of injury replacement. With all these reasons and the potential to show out, could we see a huge performance from one of the three players who missed out on a starting spot?
Scottie Barnes makes his All-Star debut
Though it may have been by way of injury replacement, the Toronto Raptors face-of-the-franchise Scottie Barnes is having his breakout season underscored by way of his first All-Star selection.
Barnes has improved every facet of his game in his third year in the league, setting career marks in points (20.1), rebounds (8.1), assists (6.0), steals (1.2), blocks (1.5), three-pointers made (1.8) and three-point percentage (35.3).
With his selection, he becomes the first player from the 2021 draft class to be named an All-Star, beating out the three players selected ahead of him and further validating his Rookie of the Year win.
He has already made an impression in this year’s festivities, somewhat redeeming his forgettable performance in the 2022 Skill Competition by outshooting teammate Trae Young and Tyrese Maxey in this year’s edition of the Saturday event. (Though he still had a somewhat viral fumble in the obstacle course portion of the competition).
But Sunday’s game is what matters most to the third-year sensation as he suits up with the league’s best for the first time. Though he might not yet be at the level of stalwarts like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic, when he takes the court in Indiana, he undeniably gets to stand alongside them and say that he belongs.
Who’s the best bet to beat Jayson Tatum‘s 55-point record?
Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was a force to be reckoned with this time last year as he shot the lights out en route to a record-setting 55-point performance complete with 31 field goal attempts and 18 three-point attempts.
It was undeniably a great game, but he did take six more field goals than anyone else on his team and four more than Celtics teammate and All-Star opponent Jaylen Brown who finished with 35 points for the opposing team.
However, with regular-season scoring at the highest it’s been in 56 years (115.5 ppg), it only makes sense that scoring at the All-Star Game may also reach new highs.
Let’s quickly look at the best candidates to break Tatum’s record from the 2023 game.
Luka Doncic is currently leading the league in points per game for qualified players, scoring an absurd 34.2 a night on career-high efficiency (.492/.375/.777 shooting splits). He also put up 73 points in a non-OT game against the Atlanta Hawks, so what’s stopping him from doing it again with even less defence to worry about?
In a game without players to crowd the paint and stop his drives, what’s stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo from going to the rim, again and again, to set the record in hyper-efficient fashion? In the 2021 game, the Greek Freak finished with 35 points on a perfect 16-of-16 from the field. Without someone like Kyle Lowry there to take a charge, who could possibly get in the lane to bear the brunt of the most vicious rim-finisher in the NBA?
Anthony Edwards is having the best season of his career, scoring 26.3 a night on career-high .471/.386/.841 shooting splits. He’s an offensive dynamo, with jump-off-the-page athleticism and high-flying skills perfect for a showcase game like this. Though he pledged to shoot left-handed for the game, could he be channelling Indiana’s-very-own Larry Bird when he takes the court on Sunday?
What about hometown hero Tyrese Haliburton? He scored a career-high 43 this season and his hot shooting and impressive efficiency, all while playing under his own roof, could all culminate in a record-breaking showing for the Pacers’ breakout star.
