B/R Staff Predictions for NBA All-Star Weekend

All-Star Weekend is upon us, and the Bleacher Report NBA staff is ready to let you know what'll happen in each of the festivities headed our way over the next few days.

With the exception of the All-Star Game itself (which won't have finalized rosters till the playground-style draft happens right before the contest), we know enough about everything else to make the case for specific winners.

That includes the Jordan Rising Stars tournament, the Kia Skills Challenge, the Starry 3-Point Contest, the AT&T Slam Dunk contest and the G League Next Up Game (a new entry for this year).

Below, you'll find the breakdowns on all of the above.

The NBA's Rising Stars tournament features four teams of seven, playing in the first round to a target score of 40. The winners play in the final to 25.

Team Pau looks like the favorite with last year's Rookie of the Year, Scottie Barnes, along with freshman standouts Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Bennedict Mathurin, Keegan Murray and Andrew Nembhard. Jose Alvarado rounds out what looks like a powerhouse.

Team Deron also looks strong with Franz Wagner, Alperen Şengün, Trey Murphy III, AJ Griffin, Bones Hyland, Walker Kessler and, subbing for Jalen Green, Ayo Dosunmu. Don't sleep on Team Joakim, with Josh Giddey, Evan Mobley, Jalen Williams, Jeremy Sochan, Quentin Grimes, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason (replacing Jalen Duren).

Both are formidable. But Team Pau is the squad to beat.

Finally, Team Jason is one to scout with Scoot Henderson, one of the top prospects in the 2023 NBA draft, along with three G League Ignite teammates, Leonard Miller, Sidy Cissoko and Mojave King. They'll be joined by Kenneth Lofton Jr., Mac McClung and Scotty Pippen Jr., looking to upset.

Winner: Team Pau

This year's Skills Challenge is shaping up to be…weird.

We have an entire team of Antetokounmpos, so I guess that's pretty cool. The rookie squad—Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey and Jabari Smith Jr.—is fun but awkward. I would have gone with Paolo and then two of Jeremy Sochan, Dyson Daniels and Jalen Williams.

Utah's representatives—Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler—seem best equipped to win the shooting segments of the event. I worry about how the Antetokounmpos and the rooks will hold up in Round 1, which calls for someone to hit a left corner three. And they'll need to drop in a total of three deep treys during Round 3.

At the same time, the Antetokounmpos might dominate Round 1, which is a team relay. You can't beat Sibling Synergy, you know? And the rookie squad has the best passers, collectively, which will come in handy during Round 2.

I have close to zero feel for how this will play out. And that, by extension, intrigues me.

The members of Team Jazz have the best blend of skill sets, so I'll roll with them—though I will be biting my lip as they navigate the passing obstacles in Round 2.

Winner: Team Jazz

The NBA's three-point shootout is the most reliable All-Star event. Take the best shooters in the world, give them a few racks and let it fly.

This year's group includes Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markkanen, Tyler Herro, Kevin Huerter, Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton and Julius Randle replacing the injured Anfernee Simons.

Unfortunately, the last two winners (Karl-Anthony Towns and Stephen Curry) are also sidelined with knee injuries. Of the participants, Hield, who won the contest in 2020, has the highest regular-season three-point percentage to date (42.6 percent). Markkanen is second at 41.2 percent, while Lillard (37.2), Herro (36.9) and Tatum (35.7) are on the lower end of the curve.

Expect strong showings from Haliburton (39.9) and Huerter (39.2), but the final may come down to big vs. small, with Jazz All-Star Markkanen winning it in Utah—denying Hield his second title.

Winner: Lauri Markkanen

In terms of traditional star power, this year's dunk contest might have the least in the history of the event.

The participants are Jericho Sims, Trey Murphy III, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Mac McClung (who's spent most of the season in the G League).

If you had to set the over/under on career All-Star appearances for all four of them, it might be 0.5.

That doesn't necessarily mean the contest itself will be a dud, though. There are plenty of YouTube highlights for all four. They can all get up. And less heralded names have come through in the past.

However, this year's projected winner, despite being in the G League, has received plenty of attention during his basketball career.

McClung came up in the era of BallIsLife, which means plenty of his high school highlights and jaw-dropping jams went viral several years ago. He may have fallen off the radar a bit through an underwhelming college and professional career, but he hasn't lost his bounce. And this is his opportunity to showcase it again.

This pick is about more than name recognition, though. McClung is a dynamic, forceful dunker who also happens to be 6'2". By professional basketball player standards, that's short. Everyone else in this year's contest is at least 6'6". And merely having more air to cover between the ground and the rim can be a big advantage (just ask Nate Robinson).

Winner: Mac McClung

Despite Team Scoot's captain—Henderson himself—being viewed by scouts as an All-Star NBA prospect, Team Luka has the edge in the G League Next Up Game.

Team Luka counters Henderson with Sharife Cooper, who's been equally as good this season averaging 24.3 points and 7.0 assists. But Luka Garza is the game's biggest matchup problem now that he's making 2.5 threes per game. Neemias Queta will give him trouble with his strength and length, but Garza has become too comfortable away from the basket, and he figures to have a green light in an All-Star setting to keep showing off that 48.2 percent three-point stroke.

With seven Ignite players on Team Scoot, including teenagers Leonard Miller, Sidy Cissoko and London Johnson, key players could get overwhelmed by the spotlight and environment.

Aside from Garza and Cooper, they'll face former G League MVP Trevelin Queen and have to deal with Mac McClung's athleticism and scoring ability in an open setting, Gabe York's flame-throwing stroke and Saben Lee's and Frank Jackson's NBA experience. One team just has too much firepower and veterans for this particular game.

Predicting Standouts

The primary ball-handlers for each team are the best bets to stand out in the G League Next Up Game.

Henderson's speed and explosiveness are tailor made for this setting's tempo, freedom and presumed lack of defensive intensity. Cooper's creativity and passing figure to come alive under the same conditions.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. doesn't have the same flash, but he's a matchup problem with the type of aggressive mentality and versatility that could lead to a triple-double with enough touches and minutes. From college and Elite Camp to the G League, he produces in every setting, and this one should be another. His teammate, Scottie Pippen Jr., should also have a good opportunity to put on a show with his dribble creativity, shot-making and fearlessness. If the Los Angeles Lakers can't turn things around after their recent acquisitions, Pippen could see real minutes down the stretch of the NBA season.

York is another candidate to go off with his streak shooting ability. He's hit at least seven threes in a game three times this past month for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and he'll have even more of a green light to catch fire on Friday. McClung will be participating in the dunk contest, but he should be more motivated to stand out in the Next Up Game as he continues to try to earn a regular contract and NBA minutes. Though known for his bounce, McClung blends creativity, tough shot-making and confidence for microwave scoring, especially in an atmosphere like the one he'll play in with Team Luka.