Our free NBA picks are out for the always entertaining All-Star Game in 2022! Make sure you check our NBA picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free NBA picks for the All-Star Game between Team LeBron and Team Durant!
Team LeBron vs Team Durant – 8pm ET
As always, we have a star-studded line up for the All-Star Game, and in 2022 the game will take place in Cleveland. With so much star power and skills on the court, who will be able to come out victorious? It is set to be a fun and exciting night, but rest assured that both teams want to win and will be giving it their all.
Michael Lantz
The 2022 All-Star Game will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, as Team Durant takes on Team Lebron in LeBron James’ Cleveland homecoming. James’ team comes in stacked as they have three MVP candidates in Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Jokic. As if that wasn’t enough, they also have the greatest shooter of all time in Steph Curry to round out the starting five. The bench doesn’t let up: James drafted Luka Doncic to provide some pop off the bench; he also selected veterans Chris Paul and Jimmy Butler to control the game’s flow. What completely pushes his team over the edge is that he drafted two players from the Cleveland Cavaliers in Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland. Good move: the crowd should be completely on Team LeBron’s side. Still, it is an All-Star Game, so Team Durant has its fair share of talent to counter this impressive squad.
The captain! #TeamLeBron #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/c3ltSherYC
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 19, 2022
Even though Kevin Durant is out injured Sunday, his team still consists of MVP candidate Joel Embiid, star guard Ja Morant, scoring machines Jayson Tatum and Trae Young, and defensive stopper Andrew Wiggins. While Team LeBron might have more star power, team Durant might have a more traditional “team” set up. On the bench, Durant is flushed with shooters: he has Devin Booker and Zach LaVine, and even the league’s best shooting big man in Karl Anthony Towns. They also have a defense—as 3X Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert sits at center, while steals leader Dejounte Murray should be hungry in his first All-Star appearance. Still, defense seldom matters in the All-Star game, so I wouldn’t count on that being much of a factor. While both teams are bursting with talent, I think the edge has to go to Team LeBron. If Durant wasn’t injured, I’d expect his squad to have a better chance, and while they do have an exciting bench, I can’t see them handling the likes of LeBron, Giannis, and Jokic all on the court at the same time.
Michael’s NBA All-Star Pick: Team LeBron (-210)
Noah Dunlap
As always, this year’s NBA All-Star Game from Cleveland will be extremely exciting, as the best players in the world take the court together to showcase their talents, be it shooting, athleticism, passing, and anything in between. The thing to remember is that defense will always be optional in this game, at least until the fourth quarter, so don’t expect some kind of defensive slugfest.
future #NBAAllStar. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/J0iizFRePn
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 19, 2022
As for the game, and teams themselves, I think the drafting process got a little skewed, as it looks like Team LeBron got the huge upper hand. Their starting five consists of James himself, Giannis, Nikola Jokic, Steph Curry, and DeMar Derozan. That is an absolutely insane roster, as it features the best shooter in the world, arguably the best center (or two) in the league, and a guy in LeBron who may be the best to ever play the game. And that’s just the starters. Their reserves see a smaller size, as it features the likes of Luka, Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul, and company, and while they won’t start, with it being an All-Star game, they’re sure to get plenty of touches as well.
To me Team Durant just doesn’t quite have the same firepower. Durant himself is out with injury, which causes their five starters to be Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, and Andrew Wiggins. That’s a good starting five, but when you look at what team LeBron is courting, I don’t think they’re all that close. The reserves for team Durant are a decent bunch, with Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert leading the way, but I just don’t think that’s enough to get them over the top. Give me Team LeBron and head coach Monty Williams to get the win.
Noah’s NBA All-Star Pick: Team LeBron (-210)
If you are looking for more news, information and predictions, head over to our NBA hub page for all your basketball needs!
*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
