NBA luminaries come to life as the All-Star show hits Dallas

Basketball / Nick Shiambouros / 12 February 2010 / Leave a Comment

The All-Stars are in town, meaning an entertaining weekend awaits all NBA fans. Nick Shiambouros is on hand to take you through the teams and players to put your money on...

The 2010 All-Star weekend celebrations get underway on Friday in the beautiful city of Dallas. This is the 59th edition of the All-Star game which will be played at the new Cowboys Stadium on Sunday.

The game itself is an exhibition match between the best players in the Eastern and Western Conferences. The starting players are selected via a fan ballot and the reserves are chosen by the coaches.

Most All-Star games are relatively high scoring affairs as the players do not defend as tightly as they would in a regular season match. The coaches try to give everyone some playing time so there are constant substitutions taking place.

This year the great LeBron James will once again represent the Eastern Conference. James loves the occasion and I am sure he will treat the crowd to some spectacular shots. Unfortunately there is a doubt about the participation of Kobe Bryant for the Western Conference as he is recovering from a sprained ankle.

I think the absence of Bryant could give the edge to the East in this game as a lot of the spotlight will be on LeBron James. He is certain to score plenty of points and if the game is close in the fourth quarter he will take over.

I would advise small stakes on the Eastern Conference in what should be a very entertaining game on Sunday evening.
　
On Friday night the Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam takes place between the Rookies and Sophomores. This is one game I am very interested in as it features the bright young stars of the NBA.

The Rookies have lost the last seven meetings of this game but I think they have a realistic chance of breaking this long losing run.

I think this is the best Rookie team in quite some time. DeJuan Blair, Stephen Curry and Tyreke Evans are three outstanding first season NBA players who have made a huge impact . I have been particularly impressed with Blair who is showing the maturity of a seasoned veteran for the San Antonio Spurs.

The Sophomores have plenty of talent in the rotation including Michael Beasley and Russell Westbrook who are stars in the making.

This game is usually much more competitive than the All-Star game as these younger players are hungry to prove a point to their older counterparts

The exciting Slam Dunk contest takes place on Saturday night and defending champion Nate Robinson returns to defend his title. Over the years competitors have become more and more creative and this years promises to be no different.

Robinson will have plenty of competition from Laker guard Shannon Brown and Charlotte forward Gerald Wallace.

This is not an easy competition to win back-to back and only the great Michael Jordan and Jason Richardson have achieved this feat in the history of the competition. I think the value bet in this event is to lay the probable favourite Nate Robinson in this competition.
　
The All-Star weekend is one of the most entertaining events of the year. There is plenty of action to keep everyone interested over three great days. This year over ninety thousand fans are expected to fill the new Cowboys Stadium to watch the All-Star game. This would set an all time attendance record for a basketball event. Even with the difficult financial climate the game of basketball remains as popular as ever.

Recommended wagers

Friday: Back the Rookies
Saturday: Lay Nate Robinson in Slam Dunk Challenge
Sunday: Back the Eastern Conference