NBA All Star Weekend is Here!

This weekend marks the 2008 NBA All-Star festivities from New Orleans, Louisiana! It will be a great time for the love of basketball and the city of New Orleans..Here's a look at what's on tap for the big game, other events, and of course predictions...


The 2008 All-Stars Themselves:

Eastern Conference

Jason Kidd--N.J. Nets
Dwayne Wade--Miami
Kevin Garnet--Boston
LeBron James--Cleveland
Dwight Howard--Orlando

Reserves:
Chauncey Billups--Detroit
Chris Bosh--Toronto
Caron Butler--Washington
Richard Hamilton--Detroit
Antawn Jamison--Washington
Joe Johnson--Atlanta
Paul Pierce--Boston

---

Western Conference

Starters:
Kobe Bryant--L.A. Lakers
Allen Iverson--Denver
Carmelo Anthony--Denver
Tim Duncan--San Antonio
Yao Ming--Houston

Reserves:
Carlos Boozer--Utah
Steve Nash--Phoenix
Dirk Nowitzki--Dallas
Chris Paul--New Orleans
Brandon Roy--Portland
Amare Stoudamire--Phoenix
David West--New Orleans

---

Event Schedule - TNT

T-Mobile Rookie Challenge 9PM Friday
D-League All Star Game 3PM Saturday
All Star Saturday night 8PM
(Dunk contest, skills, 3pt shootout)
NBA All-Star Game 8PM Sunday

---

All-Star Weekend Predictions:

Dunk Contest: Rudy Gay
3Pt Shootout: Peja Stoyakovic
Skills Contest: Chris Paul
Rookie Game: Sophomores
All-Star Game: Western Conference 132-128, MVP: Chris Paul

If you've seen Rudy Gay's various NBA TV highlights then you know he's the real deal here. The 3 point shootout is always tough to pick, but Peja has been deadly almost always from that range and is the hometown hero. Another fan favorite will be Chris Paul in the Skills contest. It will be tough to dethrone guys like D-Wade and Kidd, but Paul may have the spirit of the hometwon crowd and city behind him.

Overall, this is a great time for the city which was hit so hard by Hurricane Katrina a few years back. Now hometown heroes, Chris Paul and David West can dazzle the fans along with the likes of Kobe, Lebron, D-Wade and many others. The West seems to have the power here, as KG is injured, Shaq isn't on the East and looking at the lineups you see how much frontcourt presence the West has. That's not to say this won't be a close and interesting game, as the East has great inside presence with Dwight Howard, and many sharp shooters. Should be a fun game, and these are usually about putting on a show, not playing solid D or any real game plan...Enjoy the events of 2008 NBA All-Star weekend!

To get pumped for the big game, check out this NBA All-star dance off featuring Shaq, D Howard and Lebron James!

Also see NBA.com, the official site for all info on the 2008 NBA All Star Game!