2013 NBA All-Star Game: Winners and Losers from All-Star Weekend
By Matt Shetler
Now that the 2013 NBA All-Star Game is in the books, it is time to take a look back and reflect on the winners and losers from an exciting weekend.
With that being said, let’s not waste any time and see exactly who comes from winners and who comes home losers from All-Star Weekend in Houston.
Feb 17, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference guard Chris Paul (3) of the Los Angeles Clippers holds the game MVP trophy after the 2013 NBA all star game at the Toyota Center. West won 143-138. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Winner- Chris Paul
CP3 won the All-Star Game MVP while leading the Western Conference to victor, so that’s good enough for me. In addition his numbers of 20 points and 15 assists made this all about Los Angeles, except everyone should be talking Clippers and not Lakers. Just an outstanding and unselfish performance from Paul.
Loser-LeBron James
It’s hard to call the best player on the planet a loser, but for the second consecutive All-Star Weekend, that’s exactly what James was. He is the first person you think of after the dunk contest flops, especially after his yearly promises that he will enter the contest. Then he starts the game with some rim shaking dunks that beg the question of why he can’t do the same on Saturday’s. We know his fragile ego couldn’t take losing a dunk contest, but all things considered, he’s the guy that people want to see. To make his weekend worse, he was shut down offensively in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and scored only one fourth quarter point in almost seven minutes of action, going 0-for-4 from the floor with a turnover.
Winner- Kyrie Irving
The second-year point guard had the platform for his coming out party and took advantage of it. Irving excelled in the Rising Stars Challenge, won the three-point shootout and showed on Sunday that he belonged with the NBA’s best. That’s a very productive weekend.
Loser- Brandon Knight
More than anything that the talented Knight has done of the floor in his brief time in the NBA, Knight is now know the most for getting his ankles broke by Irving on Friday night. I give Knight a ton of credit for refusing to back down to Irving and continuing to challenge him, but he will be on the wrong end of a bad highlight for months to come.
Winner- First Time All-Star’s
It’s always good to see guys make the All-Star team for the first time and this year we saw seven first timers, including the New York Knicks Tyson Chandler, who made it for the first time after 12 years in the league. Guys like Chandler, Irving, Paul George, James Harden and others showed that they belong on the big stage.
Loser- Dunk Contest
Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) dunks during the 2013 NBA All-Star slam dunk contest at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Something has to be done to fix this. It highlights All-Star Saturday night and it flopped once again. The stars need to participate. That’s something the league needs to fix, but the rules need tweaked also. I didn’t like the East vs. West thing this year, but you simply can’t miss a dunk six times and then be given a 50 for it on chance number seven. We have seen this go on for too long. Jeremy Evans and Terrence Ross were decent in the finals, but the rest of the contest left a lot to be desired.
Winner- Kenneth Faried
Faried dropped 40 Friday night, tying a record and bringing home MVP honors. “The Manimal” also showed why he is one of the top up-and-coming young big men in the NBA today.
Loser- James White
“Flight” was grounded on Saturday night a White found out that All-Star Weekend is a much bigger stage than he was used to. He came into the dunk contest with a lot of hype but severely disappointed. The announcers said it best when they commented that “This isn’t You Tube.”
Winner- Kevin Durant
KD did what KD does and simply drops a game-high 30 points in 31 minutes of action in leading the West to victory. In a game of the best in the world, Durant stepped up and made a statement for the second consecutive year.
Loser- Chris Bosh
Bosh made only 3-of-9 shots on the night, but was embarrassed not once but twice when Western Conference point guards Paul and Tony Parker dribbled between HIS legs. It’s a shame that Bosh got stuck guarding these quick guards on the perimeter in the All-Star Game, where there wasn’t much screening going on, but once he was isolated, he was embarrassed.
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