No more drafts. No more Team LeBron. No more Elam Ending. We’re back to the basics with this year’s NBA All-Star Game, which tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. It’s the Eastern Conference versus the Western Conference in a tilt that really doesn’t mean anything outside of some cool highlights and that one time Fergie sang the National Anthem.
Let’s dive into it.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st] (ASG)
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Picks
Tyrese Haliburton ($13,200 CP) – Every All-Star Game has a few key storylines to follow which, in turn, creates our main characters for the evening. One easy cheat code tends to be the “hometown” angle; whether that’s truly a player returning to where they grew up or simply a player representing the hosting city’s team. These factors multiply when said player is a rising star and happens to have been voted in as a starter. In fact, this will be Haliburton’s first-career start at an All-Star Game, an honor which will likely be celebrated by him having the ball in his hands — a lot. Really, the only concern about Haliburton is his recent injury issues. However, the 23-year-old has suited up for Indiana’s past nine contests and has even logged in excess of 34 minutes in the team’s last two games. The restrictions seem to have been lifted. I assume Haliburton will be full-throttle on Sunday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($12,600 CP) – Another thing to think about when trying to determine usage rate in an exhibition game full of superstars is the larger narrative of the season. Whose year is it? Obviously, some players are just built to thrive in this type of format — Giannis Antetokounmpo ($9,400), Jayson Tatum ($8,000) and Steph Curry ($5,600) immediately come to mind — but players’ “give a damn” levels fluctuate for a number of reasons in an All-Star Game environment. To me, you want to focus on younger assets who are not only hungry to impress, but have earned major minutes with their play. When laid out like that, SGA’s viability on this slate is crystal clear. The former lottery pick was limited to a mere 10.1 minutes in his ASG debut in 2023, yet in the 12 months since then, Gilgeous-Alexander has finished top-five in MVP voting and appears on his way to even more votes at the end of 2024. He’s arrived and that’ll prove itself this weekend.
FLEX Plays
Devin Booker ($5,800) – Despite the fact that this is officially Booker’s fourth All-Star appearance, we’ve really only seen the guard make an impact in one of his prior visits, scoring 20 points and logging the second-most minutes on Team Durant in 2022. Aside from that, Booker played sparingly in his 2020 debut, was injured in 2021 and was then snubbed in 2023. My point is this: Booker seems like the kind of person who takes an ASG very seriously. He’s still young enough to care and want to play heavy minutes. That’s important on this particular incarnation of the West. Curry is 35, as is Kevin Durant ($6,800). LeBron James ($7,600) is 39 and only saw the court for 14.4 minutes in last year’s game, despite the team bearing his name. We’re in the midst of a changing of the guard.
Anthony Edwards ($4,000) – You can take everything I’ve just said about Gilgeous-Alexander and Booker and apply it to Edwards. The former first-overall pick is in the middle of his breakout campaign, averaging 26.3 points per game for a Timberwolves squad that enters the All-Star break as the no. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Edwards is also the guy that did this last month and this in his rookie season. His athleticism was made for All-Star weekend. If this was 2000, he’d be in the dunk contest. Unfortunately, it’s not, and we’ll all have to settle for him putting on an aerial performance on Sunday. At his microscopic price, Edwards might even have a case for the Captain’s slot.
Fades
Luka Doncic ($9,600) – You may have noticed I’ve talked a lot about some younger pieces on the West’s roster. Some pieces that don’t even have the minutes floor guaranteed by a starting gig. Well, there’s a reason for that. A reason beyond the age concerns that I’ve already mentioned. The Western Conference certainly has a more stacked group of players when directly compared to the East; however, it also claims the three men who likely care the least about the weekend’s festivities: Doncic, Nikola Jokic ($9,200) and Kawhi Leonard ($4,200). Heck, the latter is already subject of reports that he’s not going to play at all. When it specifically comes to Doncic, the 24-year-old has been pretty consistent in his prior four All-Star showings. In fact, Doncic is averaging just 7.0 points and 5.0 assists per game in 23.3 minutes. He’s started three times and never scored double-digit points. I doubt his motivation suddenly changes in 2024.
THE OUTCOME
Can I just bet that everyone has a good time? It’s honestly a little silly to have a lean for an exhibition game, but I’d probably take the Eastern Conference if I needed to pick a side. The group is generally younger and first-time All-Stars like Tyrese Maxey ($4,400), Paolo Banchero ($3,200) and Scottie Barnes ($3,000) will actually care, along with some veterans that seem to also enjoy the format. I don’t know. Just bet the over.
Final Score: East 198, West 183
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st] (ASG)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is theglt13) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
