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The much-awaited NBA All-Star Game 2021 is almost upon us as Team LeBron prepares to take on Team Durant at the State Farm Arena on Sunday.
Although Team Durant will be missing their captain Kevin Durant because of an injury, the star power in his team is still quite formidable. Team LeBron will be up against a squad boasting an excellent blend of speed, power and creativity.
However, Team LeBron have not lost an NBA All-Star Game since the format was changed four years ago. It remains to be seen if LeBron James and co will win the league’s most prestigious midseason event.
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Match Details
Fixture - Team LeBron vs Team Durant | 2020-21 NBA Season.
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Date & Time - Sunday, March 7; 8:00 PM ET (Monday, March 8th; 6:30 AM IST)
Venue - State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA.
Team LeBron Preview
A quick look at LeBron James’ assemblage of NBA All-Stars shows that he has put together a team of playmakers.
Aside from James, other floor generals in Team LeBron include Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Ben Simmons. Any one of these players could be the lead facilitator in any team in the NBA.
The greatest strength of Team LeBron is shot creation and playmaking.
It’s likely that Team LeBron coach Scott Snyder will play Curry and Lillard off the ball, as the two guards are excellent coming off picks and can create space for themselves to get off shots from distance.
They’ve got two of the better perimeter defenders in the league in Paul George and Jaylen Brown. Team LeBron also features a pair of intimidating interior defenders in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert.
And let’s not forget do-it-all forward Domantas Sabonis, who can score in various ways and play multiple frontcourt positions aside from being an excellent playmaker as well.
Put them all together and Team LeBron could be a handful for Team Durant in the 20221 NBA All-Star game.
Key Player - Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a dominant force in NBA All-Star teams, especially in his last two when he was his team’s captain. In those two games, the Greek Freak averaged 31.5 points, 11 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting at 65.9%from the field.
Antetokounmpo is touted to win the NBA All-Star Game MVP trophy. He could do that this year. Now at Team LeBron, after being James’ opponent the last three years, Antetokounmpo is surrounded by players who could get him the ball in his favorite spots near the rim.
With the NBA All-Star Game being a fast-paced affair where athletic wings can leak out and score in the fastbreak, Antetokounmpo knows he is built to crush the competition in this type of environment. Team Durant should be especially wary without Kevin Durant to match Antetokounmpo in defense.
Team LeBron Lineup
Starters - G Luka Doncic, G Stephen Curry, F LeBron James, F Giannis Antetokounmpo, C Nikola Jokic.
Reserves - G Damian Lillard, G Chris Paul, G Ben Simmons, F Paul George, F Jaylen Brown, F Domantas Sabonis, C Rudy Gobert.
Team Durant Preview
If Team LeBron has playmakers galore, Team Durant has eight of the league’s top-15 scorers.
Everyone in Team Durant except for Mike Conley (an injury replacement for Devin Booker who replaced the injured Anthony Davis) is a 20-plus point scorer this season, giving coach Doc Rivers a plethora of options in offense.
With the NBA All-Star team scoring the most points in a quarter receiving a $100,000 incentive to their assigned charity, Team Durant has the potential to win virtually every one of these giveaways unless Team LeBron stops them.
And Team Durant isn’t exactly bereft of playmakers too. Kyrie Irving, Mike Conley, and James Harden appear to be the only assist men in the squad, but in reality, six other players average at least 4.9 or more assists per game this campaign.
Donovan Mitchell, Bradley Beal, Zach LaVine, Kawhi Leonard and Jayson Tatum are the team’s athletic wing players with power forward Zion Williamson at the zenith of their above-the-rim play.
The athleticism in Team Durant is simply off the charts!
Joel Embiid, Julius Randle and Nikola Vucevic are the team’s rugged interior players, but all three are versatile enough to play on the outside as well.
Team Durant has firepower and athletic ability that Team LeBron could have a hard time contending with, something Doc Rivers would want to exploit in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
Key Player - Joel Embiid
Team Durant's Joel Embiid was a major force in two of the last three NBA All-Star Games, but this year might end up being his most productive one yet.
Embiid has improved as a consistent threat from outside the painted area. With a 41.6% shooting percentage from the three, Embiid has been virtually unstoppable in offense this campaign.
He is just as valuable in defense. That is evident in the Philadelphia 76ers having a 108.3 defensive rating with Embiid on the floor and a deplorable 118 defensive rating in the six games he has missed this season. That last stat would give them the second-worst figure in this regular season.
That explains why Embiid was present in the key moments in the last few NBA All-Star Games. For Team Durant, Embiid is going to be a major force and a tough cover for anyone who guards him or is guarded by him. Team LeBron could have their hands full with Embiid.
Team Durant Lineup
Starters - G Kyrie Irving, G Bradley Beal, F Kawhi Leonard, F Jayson Tatum, C Joel Embiid.
Reserves - G Mike Conley, G James Harden, G Donovan Mitchell, F Zach LaVine, F Zion Williamson, F Julius Randle, C Nikola Vucevic.
NBA All-Star Game 2021: Team LeBron vs Team Durant Match Prediction
No matter which way you look at it, the 2021 NBA All-Star Game between Team LeBron and Team Durant could go either way. Just as two of the last three All-Star Games could have gone either way, this year’s game could go that way too.
Many stars have the potential to catch fire in the NBA All-Star Game 2021, as both Team LeBron and Team Durant have a plethora of stars at their disposal.
While the number of scorers in Team Durant is quite intimidating, Team LeBron has a slightly better mix of players who could create and facilitate in offense and protect the basket in defense. Team LeBron has the slight edge in this year's NBA All-Star Game.
Where to watch the NBA All-Star Game 2021?
The NBA All-Star Game 2021 featuring Team LeBron and Team Durant will be shown nationally on TNT. The game will also be live-streamed on the NBA League Pass.
Also Read: NBA All-Star Game 2021: 5 players to watch out for.
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