NBA

[Guest DOVAHKIIN]

The Raptors are again without a legitimate center. Back to square one?

I dunno if you haven't noticed, but Bargnani's been filling at centre quite well.

Well except when Dwight Howard beats him up. Still not an ideal post banger, but that's not important in the East.

O'Neal and Bosh both operate inside and it just didn't mesh.

Raps get torched by the opposition's 3's and 2's all the time because Moon can't guard a fly. He bites on every shot fake. Marion does a better job at least.

[Guest PB&Banana]

Did anyone see what D Wade wore in the rookie/sophmore game? He looked so cute

Okay back to the game didn't see much I only got the last two minutes, it was fun seeing beasley and durant since their close friends. I thought the rookies could have won since they had a talented squad but they lost one of these days I want the them to win again.

[Guest KorEaN]

durant was a monster in that rookie challenge game.. hahah he should have been in the all-star game tho

[Guest DOVAHKIIN]

At least it was close.

As good as Durant has been, guys on horrible, not just bad teams rarely get picked. Someday though.

Those jerseys were hideous.

[Guest LOOOeee]

I dunno if you haven't noticed, but Bargnani's been filling at centre quite well.

Well except when Dwight Howard beats him up. Still not an ideal post banger, but that's not important in the East.

O'Neal and Bosh both operate inside and it just didn't mesh.

Raps get torched by the opposition's 3's and 2's all the time because Moon can't guard a fly. He bites on every shot fake. Marion does a better job at least.

I still think Bargnani's more of an oversized shooting guard like Dirk, except even worse. Does he play defense? I haven't watched enough to judge.

[Guest YG.family-YO]

kevin durant ... just WOW, really ...

scoring 46 points with 5 other sophomores scoring double digits ...

i guess they deserve this win, although i really would have

thought the rookies would win ... LOL !

[Guest knockblock]

Most of the players in the east who play center aren't real centers. The league has really degraded.

The Rookie vs Sophmore game was actually good. It looked like the rookies could have pulled an upset but the sophmores won in the end. Durant showed how good he was in that game.

[Guest DOVAHKIIN]

I wouldn't say the LEAGUE has degraded. Just more perimeter oriented with finesse. More like the game of basketball has changed itself, especially with the influence of Euroball, thankyouverymuchDavidStern. Hell everyone wants to shoot on the perimeter. The kids I coach for basketball, my biggest guy is designated at center because he rips it up inside, but he occasionally jacks up long jumpers that always miss. I tell him not to shoot form outside, he shoots. You play pick-up games, your biggest guy who's probably the worst perimeter shooter will probably shoot it. Everyone sees Kobe or Ray Allen hit it from outside on TV, all of a sudden everyone wants to be Kobe or Ray Allen.

Nowadays natural power forwards get thrown at center out position because you can rarely find dominant real center anywhere overseas or in college.

In the West, the only real centers I can think of are Yao, Shaq and Bynum. Oden and Marc Gasol are the only other starting centers that stay true to their position. Anywhere else, you got Okur, Biedrins, Jefferson, Camby, Brad Miller and so on who fit the power forward blueprint more. Hell, with Okur's perimeter shooting and Miller's passing, even that's not right.

Could even say most power forwards try to play a bit of the 3 nowadays.

[Guest PB&Banana]

Durant is something I think he beefed up a little bit but if he gains more and becomes stronger he'll be the one to watch. How old is he 20?

I don't think they have the mentality to post up other players inside, it's all about shooting the jumpers when you're open for some with occasional post move.

[Guest res0nate]

It's the skillset that stops players from staying inside.

Bargnani can be a 20-7 kind of guy, even 20-10 if he wants to. Scoring is not his problem, rebounding and at times, shot selection is. His defense is better than Bosh's, a part of that attributes to his overall weight (even though Bosh is stronger).

Joey Graham, fwiw, is a pretty good defender, probably one of the better ones Toronto has this year. Save for the occasional bad shot, he takes it to the rim and he can body the bigger players if he's asked to.

[Guest knockblock]

What makes things worse is that the rules now are favoring the perimeter players. You are not allowed to handcheck players on the perimeter. But inside the paint you can do all the activity you want to stop the big guys. What's with that? Not fair. Teams take advantage of having their players attack the rim by going to the hole. A lot of teams rarely use their centers on offense. The bigs now that are used are the ones who are fast.

[Guest PB&Banana]

So far the dunk contest isn't that spectacular, I'm at good right now. I think nate's dunk was underrated he wasn't bouncing in no trampoline, a 41 really? Maybe he'll come as batman lol

[Guest CKcrossover]

I thought that was actually one of the better dunk competition I've seen in a while

well, at least all the props were pretty insane

Dwight's phone booth and Nate's kryptonite jersey

and then dunked over Dwight with the kryptonite ball

they should had rise the board higher and let Dwight do the dunk again though

[xman150]

nate's kryptonite kicks were dope. what happened to the HORSE-GEICO game?

[Guest DOVAHKIIN]

WHAT? That was a garbage dunk competition IMO.

My pick Rudy got robbed with the dunk from Gasol. Nate over Dwight was sick stil, but even Dwight disappointed me in the end. I would've killed for sudden death dunkoffs.

JR Smith is unoriginal.

Three-point shootout was just brutal to watch. Rashard wtf? Kapono wtf?

I've had better All-Star Saturdays.

ZzZz

Highlight of the night = LeBron's awesome yellow cardigan and whatever the hell Wade was wearing all night.

Oh yeah and Eva Longoria

[Guest xsilentangel]

^ Yeah the caveman screwed Rudy over... And LOL Mo Williams in the Skills Challenge.. that friggin ballboy was in the way .. his time was like 37.6 and Devin Harris was at 36.8, which got him into the last round.

OMG The three-point shootout was so stupid. Rashard Lewis just blew up at the very end. HAH Cook, the quiet underdog gets it. Like the commentators said, Ray Allen, Dirk Nowitzki and Eddie House should've been in there!

Kapono did bad at the very end too =/.. I thought he would win (well who didn't?)

^ Dude the best part was Kenny Anderson's toddler picture and when those random dancers came out before introducing the players (so freaking random LOL)..

Dunks weren't impressive..

Damn so many commercials and too much talk.. what a waste of my time.

[Guest DOVAHKIIN]

Oh yes, and Kevin Rudolf's performance was garbage as well.

Where was Lil' Wayne!?

[Guest xsilentangel]

Oh yes, and Kevin Rudolf's performance was garbage as well.

Where was Lil' Wayne!?

Taking care of his baby?!

I never knew what Kevin Rudolf looked like until now. He looks old.

[Guest asdfjkl;fdsajkl;]

lil wayne was supposed to make an appearance? damn, prefer him over kevin rudolf's garbage screaming.

dunk contest was crap compared to last year but still better than the ones before last year. i liked the kryptonite thing though. if lebrons doing it next year, im definately tuning in.

pretty upset devin lost though.

cant wait for tmrw's game.

[Guest DOVAHKIIN]

Nah... just expected him to perform in Rudolf's song as well.