All-Star Starters Announced
This week saw the announcement of the 2024–2025 All-Star starting team, with no big surprises in either the Eastern or Western Conference:
Eastern Conference: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, and Jalen Brunson.
Western Conference: Nikola Jokić, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
There are a few names on this list—primarily Victor Wembanyama, LaMelo Ball, and Luka Dončić—who surprised fans by being held off the starting ballot, but will certainly be a part of the reserve team.
The new format for the All-Star game will be interesting regardless of how it unfolds. Whether it is successful or a complete disaster, it is sure to draw some attention, and in this odd transition year for the NBA, maintaining viewership is a top priority. The league needs this to work, because a reversal back to the All-Star games of old would completely remove fan interest, which has been on a steady decline for the past several years.
Raptors Win 5 of Last 6
While it may seem that the Toronto Raptors have been eyeing off next season for quite some time, they still have some fight left. The Raptors have won 5 of their last 6, beating the Warriors, Celtics, Magic, and Hawks twice. These are all valuable wins, and they represent that this team, when fully healthy, could still be a threat for the play-in. The Raptors sit at 13th place in the East with a record of 13–32, yet are only 6 games back of the 10th-place Chicago Bulls (19–27).
Scottie Barnes has been excellent in these past few weeks after having a very stagnated start to the season due to injury. Barnes averages 20/8/6 and is working hard to get the Raptors back to relevant seeding. Assisting him is RJ Barrett, averaging 22/7/6, which gives the Raptors a very solid 1–2 punch.
Their biggest issue? That's where the talent ends. Sure, there’s a good night from Chris Boucher or Gradey Dick, but while Immanuel Quickley is still sidelined with no timetable for his return, the Raptors’ chances at a playoff berth are fading. Look for the Raptors to make a move towards the end of the trade deadline; it could give a good indication of their intentions for the rest of the season.
Is Shai Running Away with the MVP Race?
The NBA MVP award is a race between two people this year: the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić. These two players are having phenomenal seasons—Shai with a league-leading 32 ppg, as well as 5 rpg and 6 apg, and Jokić with an unbelievable 30/13/10. Shai has the Thunder in a comfortable 1st place with a record of 36–8, while Nikola Jokić has the Nuggets in 4th place with 28–16. Jokić currently leads Shai in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) with 33.6 over Shai’s 30.9.
So who should win the award?
If trends continue in this direction, it is hard to see Shai not winning the award. However, this year's race feels tighter than it has in the past several years. For Jokić, this would be his 3rd consecutive MVP, and the 4th in his 10-year career. Meanwhile, for Shai, this would be his first MVP award in a career which could see multiple nods in the coming years if he continues to play at this level.
The argument for Shai is obvious: he is leading the league in points per game and is the best player on statistically the best team in the league. However, what could give Jokić a slight edge is him leading his team in points, rebounds, and assists, proving to be the sole reason for the team's record.
At this point, it is genuinely anyone’s game. If the season ended today, I would estimate Shai to be a narrow victor. However, with nearly 3 months until the end of the regular season, things can change in an instant. This will be an extremely exciting battle to watch unfold.