Arguably this may have been the best All-Star Weekend ever!
The dunk contest was the icing on the cake. Aaron Gordon’s and Zach Lavine’s performances were phenomenal. Perhaps it was just as exhilarating as Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins’ performances in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest. Gordon and Lavine displayed an arsenal of dunks but Zach Lavine executed a between the legs dunk from the free throw line to seal the deal, he’s now a back-to- back dunk champion.
Unfortunately, the enjoyment of All-Star weekend is over, it’s time for each team to make changes and finish the season strong. There have been several trades for the trading deadline. Some teams traded for cap space and others traded for players that could help their organization clinch a playoff spot. Personally, the most interesting trade was Lance Stephenson for Jeff Green. Both teams (Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers) are getting good players and I believe each system fits each player. Lance Stephenson has a gritty Brooklyn attitude; he plays hard on defense and can score with the best of them. Lets not forget he averaged 13.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 4.5 APG, along with 20 double-doubles, and 5 triple-doubles in the 2013-14 seasons for the Indiana Pacers. On the other hand Jeff Green fits Doc Rivers’ system tremendously due to his size, athletic ability, and versatility. The Grizzlies and Clippers are both in win-win situations.
This is going to be an interesting second half of the NBA season. We’ll see which teams will fall, withstand, and rise above.
