Our NBA All-Star Draft
Chieftain staffers take over GM duties and choose teams for this year’s event
Joey Farrar: Giannis Antetok-
ounmpo. The reigning MVP is cur-
rently the most domi-
nant player in the
NBA on the most domi-
nant team in the NBA.
Ryan Marderosian:
LeBron James. How
can you pass on one of
the greatest players of
all time?
JF: Luka Doncic. With Luka’s shoot-
ing and Giannis’ rebounding and
dunks, I don’t need one of the
greatest players of all time.
RM: Kawhi Leonard. “The Claw” is
the best two-way player in the league.
Kawhi and LeBron on the same
team should wreak havoc on your
team.
JF: Anthony Davis. The experienced
All-Star will go right past Kawhi in
both the playoffs and the
All-Star game.
RM: James
Harden. The best
scorer in the league
right now makes
this a very unfair
Big Three.
JF: Trae Young.
Young may not be
a better scorer than
Harden yet, but he
is a better passer
and will
Anthony Davis
throw some lobs to
Davis and Giannis.
RM: Joel Embiid. He can beat you in
the paint, on the three-point line, and
on Twitter. Great teammate
that everyone wants.
JF: Pascal Siakam. With Siakam, I
have three players over 6-foot-9. My
team will dominate both Embiid
and the paint.
RM: Kemba Walker. The last pick of
B ROTHE R R I C E H I G H S C HO O L C H I E F TA I N
the starters is no slouch. He’s got the
clutch gene that dates all the way
back to his days at UConn.
most athletic players the NBA has
ever seen already has had an
All-time performance in the All-Star
game, scoring 41 in
2017.
Reserves
JF: Brandon In-
RM: Nikola
gram. One of the
Jokic. “The
front-runners for
Joker” is a scary
Most Improved
6th man who
Player may not be
can do just about
better than
everything.
Westbrook, but
JF: Jimmy
he will be a great
Butler. Nobody
player coming off
wants Butler
the bench.
coming off the
RM: Domantas Sa-
bench in the All-
bonis. Another guy
Star game since
gunning for Most
he is going to
Improved Player,
show everybody
Sabonis has stepped
why he should be
up in a big way this
Mavericks’ young star Luka Doncic
starting.
year.
RM: Ben Simmons. The 6-10 point
JF: Chris Paul. The experience that
guard who doesn’t shoot outside
Paul brings is invaluable and will play
should annoy the guys who don’t
a big part in getting the win for my
want to play defense.
team.
JF: Damian Lillard. All you have to
RM: Kyle Lowry. Coming off his fi rst
do to play defense against Simmons is
NBA championship, Lowry has an
just wait in the paint for him to
upper hand on these guys.
drive. For Lillard, you have to guard
JF: Rudy Gobert. The best blocker in
right as he crosses half-court because
the NBA will destroy and block any-
his range is limitless.
thing that Lowry, Westbrook, or
RM: Donovan Mitchell. Easier said
Lebron will throw up.
than done when guarding Simmons.
Starters
With a guy like Mitchell pushing
the paint, as well, you have to manage
who you want to go at.
JF: Bam Adebayo. Jimmy and Bam
have great chemistry, and that’ll show
in the All-Star game, as I
suspect some lobs will be thrown.
RM: Khris Middleton. Had one of
2019’s best All-Star game perfor-
mances, and I’m hoping he can keep
that going into 2020.
JF: Jayson Tatum. Tatum will be the
one getting hot in his fi rst of many
All-Star games.
RM: Russell Westbrook. One of the
P AGE 7
Here are Our Picks
For All-Star Saturday
Skills Competition: Pascal Siakam
will win the big-men side of the
bracket but then lose to Shai Gil-
geous-Alexander in the fi nals.
3-Point Contest: In a fi eld of stars
like Trae Young, Damian Lillard, and
reigning champ Joe Harris, Duncan
Robinson will win because he doesn’t
miss when he’s wide open.
Dunk Contest: Aaron Gordon wins a
two-man race over Derrick Jones, Jr.
F E B R U A R Y 2020