Good (insert time of day here) dear reader! On your way to work, at lunch, or reading my work to your family after a wonderful dinner - there is no wrong time to Wrant.
I want to start this Wrant off by addressing the elephant in the room - ever since my “Good Job Rockets” Wrant came out, the Rockets have been on a six game losing streak. I am very superstitious and understand the power of jinxes - so this is all on me. I should’ve learned a long time ago that talking about the good times usually ends up badly. Well, here I am - teary eyed, apologetic, on my hands and knees begging the basketball gods to absolve me of my optimistic sins.
You see, dear reader, the sports gods hate optimism. That’s why you never mention a pitcher’s perfect game, a great free throw shooter’s shooting percentage, or the fact the quarterback has protected the ball well today - those statements will result in a home run, missed shot, and an interception respectively. I committed the cardinal sin of a fan - never talk about the good times. Hopefully my acknowledgement of my transgression will appease the basketball gods, but they have forsaken me before (Dame Time/Golden State Warriors Dynasty), but maybe this time they will show mercy on my mortal soul.
I highly doubt it though.
Now, onto more pressing matters - the Super Bowl was played and my (Probably Wrong) Prediction was-
Completely and laughably incorrect. I thought that Mahomes and the Chiefs had some magic left in them. Nope. The Philadelphia Eagles championship level defense completely shut down Mahomes and the Kansas City offense on their way to a 40 - 22 Super Bowl win in New Orleans. Looks like it is still sunny in Philadelphia. Congratulations Birds!
Let’s look at the (Probably Wrong) Prediction scoreboard:
OVERALL (PROBABLY WRONG) PREDICTION COUNT - 4 CORRECT! - 6 WRONG
So, another tick in the WRONG column. Let’s see if I can add to my CORRECT! column with my
NBA All-Star Weekend (Probably Wrong) Predictions
NBA Rising Stars Challenge
This year’s Rising Stars challenge will remain the same as the format introduced in 2023 -
There will be three teams consisting of first and second year NBA players and one team consisting of G-League players. For each semifinal game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points. For the championship game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 25 points. The winning team of the Rising Stars Tournament will participate in the NBA All-Star Tournament on Sunday night. Here is a look at the participating teams:
Team T
Honorary coach: Tim Hardaway
Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat), Gradey Dick (Toronto Raptors), Anthony Black (Orlando Magic), Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks), Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards), Tristan da Silva (Orlando Magic)
Team M
Honorary coach: Mitch Richmond
Amen Thompson (Houston Rockets), Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons), Bilal Coulibaly (Washington Wizards), Scoot Henderson (Portland Trail Blazers), Toumani Camara (Portland Trail Blazers), Yves Missi (New Orleans Pelicans), Bub Carrington (Washington Wizards)
Team C
Honorary coach: Chris Mullin
Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs), Dalton Knecht (Los Angeles Lakers), Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies), Keyonte George (Utah Jazz), Zach Edey (Memphis Grizzlies), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Golden State Warriors), Ryan Dunn (Phoenix Suns)
Team G League
Honorary coach: Jeremy Lin
JD Davison (Maine Celtics), Mac McClung (Osceola Magic), Bryce McGowens (Rip City Remix), Leonard Miller (Iowa Wolves), Dink Pate (Mexico City Capitanes), Reed Sheppard (Rio Grande Valley Vipers), Pat Spencer (Santa Cruz Warriors)
(Probably Wrong) Prediction: I think Team C is the clear winner here. Zach Edey is easily the best center in this tournament (Wemby will be in the All-Star tourney) while Dalton Knecht is a microwave - he gets hot quickly and can score in bunches. Stephon Castle has been refining his game in San Antonio with Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama. I think Team C will be representing the Rising Stars against the NBA All-Stars.
Dunk Contest
A small Wrant before I give my (PW)P for the Dunk Contest - the dunk contest used to be the best part of All-Star weekend. The SuperStars of the Association would participate - Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady - but the event has lost so much magic in recent years and Star players have stopped participating, making the event lackluster. The NBA hasn’t really been able to capture the spark that Dunk Contest used to bring, yet I still watch, hoping that the magic returns.
Each participant will get two dunks in the first round, a panel of five judges giving each dunk a score between 30 - 50. The two highest score earners will compete in the Finals head to head - each contestant getting two more dunks. Creativity, difficulty level, and ability to land the dunk on the first try are all factors in the judges scoring. Here are the contestants:
Participants:
Matas Buzelis (Bulls)
Stephon Castle (Spurs)
Andre Jackson Jr. ( Bucks)
Mac McClung (G League, Osceola Magic) - 2 time reigning Dunk Contest Champion
(Probably Wrong) Prediction: I think this year's contest will come down to Stephon Castle and Andre Jackson Jr.. Castle’s in-game dunks are already Dunk contest quality - windmills, 360’s and posters - an authoritative dunker who has a flair for showmanship. Jackson Jr. can jump out of the building - his head regularly above the rim, a testament to his raw athleticism. I think Castle’s showy nature will be the edge in this contest, and the Spurs’ guard will take home the Dunk Contest Championship.
Three Point Shootout
The Three Point Shootout is fairly straightforward - Each participant will have five racks of five balls, a total of 25 shots from beyond the arc, to score as many points as they can. Four racks will have one bonus ball worth 2 points, and one rack will have 5 bonus balls - this one rack can be placed where the contestant wants, usually the spot they feel most comfortable shooting from. Here are the contestants:
Participants:
Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
Darius Garland (Cavaliers)
Tyler Herro (Heat)
Buddy Hield (Warriors)
Cam Johnson (Nets)
Damian Lillard (Bucks) - 2 Time Reigning 3 Point Contest Champion
Norman Powell (Clippers)
(Probably Wrong) Prediction: Dame Time always happens when the lights are brightest and this year should be no exception - the two time 3 Point Contest Champion is looking to become the only player besides Larry Legend to three-peat the shootout. However, Jalen Brunson and Darius Garland may give him a run for his money as two of the league’s most clutch players. Still, I predict Damian Lillard will come out on top in a close contest - Dame Time is like clockwork.
All Star Game Tournament
The All Star Game will be a little bit different this year. Just like the Rising Stars Tournament, instead of two teams competing, there will be four smaller teams of eight players each. The teams will compete in a series of target-score games, with the first team to reach 40 points winning each round.
Three teams will consist of the NBA All-Star Selections - drafted by TNT’s Inside the NBA Analyst’s Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith. The fourth team will be the winning team of the Rising Stars tournament - the Association’s best first and second year players. Candace Parker will be the team's honorary GM. Here is a look at the teams:
Team Shaq
LeBron James (Lakers), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Anthony Davis (Mavericks), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Kevin Durant (Suns), Damian Lillard (Bucks), James Harden (Clippers), Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Team Kenny
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), Jalen Williams (Thunder), Darius Garland (Cavaliers), Evan Mobley (Cavaliers), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Tyler Herro (Heat)
Team Chuck
Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Victor Wembanyama (Spurs), Pascal Siakam (Pacers), Alperen Sengun (Rockets), Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
(Probably Wrong) Prediction: Team Chuck runs away with this game if Jokic actually takes the All-Star Game seriously for once. Shai and Mitchell will run the offense while Wemby, Sengun, and Towns dominate the paint. Team Shaq will give this team fits, however - LeBron, Curry, and Durant can carry this team through the tourney like they carried the Olympics Gold Medal squad, but I think the hunger of the young international players of Team Chuck will win this tournament.
Walker’s Weekly Wrecommendations
Each week I’m gonna review and recommend random things - TV shows, music, or a restaurant. IDK. Whatever I feel like. This is my blog.
This week's Triple W is the Disney+ Star Wars show “Skeleton Crew”. A goonies like adventure set in the Star Wars galaxy, Skeleton Crew follows a group of unlikely friends as they navigate perilous pirates, wise cracking droids, and work together to uncover the secrets of the galaxy. Skeleton Crew is a perfect for families, just like the Wrant.
NEXT WEEK: Walker’s Wranting’s presents “TBA” I’m sure I’ll find something to Wrant about.