Lights. Camera. Action.

What should you expect from this year's edition of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Read after the jump for some predictions.

Every NBA fan can agree that last year's All-Star weekend was the most disappointing display of basketball in recent memory.

It all started with the three-point shootout. Not one contestant got higher than a 20 in the entire competition. (I thought these were the league's best shooters.) Unfortunately, we had to sit through a Paul Pierce victory rant. He strutted around the court exclaiming "I told ya'll" to his peers and pumped his fists in a little celebration. Reality check....it's the three-point contest, nobody cares. I have never seen a player more excited after winning a worthless competition.

He then proceeded with a victory speech in which he claimed he was "one of the best shooters in NBA history." Actually Paul, you're not. You're not even close. You barely beat a rookie in a lackluster shooting contest.

It was his most ridiculous statement since he said he was the best player in the world.

Then came the worst show in the history of sports, the 2010 NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. Besides seeing Nate Robinson for the 305th time in the contest, the contestants looked pretty promising. Gerald Wallace, DeMar DeRozan, and Shannon Brown, who was expected to have one of the best slam dunk displays in history, were the other three participants.

But to everyone's dismay, the contestants failed to entertain. The crowd was bored, no one was excited, and it just really sucked the air out of the entire stadium. And yet again, Nate Robinson won the contest making it his third slam dunk title. To be fair, nobody should have won. The NBA should have kept the trophy and banned all four guys from Cowboys Stadium. Instead we were subject to watching Nate and his tired act of being "too short to compete".

Finally, the actual All-Star Game. In all honesty, I don't even remember much of it. The only thing I recall is Deron Williams committing an unnecessary foul to extend the game. Blah, blah, blah...over 100,000 fans...blah, blah.


But this year's weekend should be a lot better. It has to be. Anything is better than that pitiful display of basketball put on last year. Here's a few predictions on each event in Los Angeles:

Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout:
- Somebody will score more than 20 in a round.
- That somebody will be Ray Allen.
- Kevin Durant will place last.
- James Jones, Ray Allen, and Daniel Gibson will reach the Finals.
- Daniel Gibson will score 23 in the Finals and win the contest.
- Despite last year's comments, Paul Pierce will realize he isn't even the best shooter on his team.

EXPECTED ENTERTAINMENT GRADE: A-

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest
- DeMar DeRozan will score a 50 in the first round.
- At some point, Javale McGee will prove he his one of the league's best athletes.
- Blake Griffin will place third and Serge Ibaka will place last.
- Javale McGee will trigger an outrageous reaction from Kenny "The Jet" Smith.
- DeMar DeRozan will barely defeat Javale McGee in the Finals.
- Everyone will find out Blake Griffin is only a good in-game dunker.
- This will be fun without Nate Robinson.

EXPECTED ENTERTAINMENT GRADE: B+

NBA All-Star Game
- Aside from Jordan in 2003, Kobe will get the largest standing ovation in All-Star Game history.
- Tim Duncan will undeservingly start at Center for the West.
- Blake Griffin will have a better dunk in the game than in the slam dunk contest.
- Miami's big three will try their hardest to help one of their members get MVP honors.
- The East will lead the entire game until the fourth quarter.
- The game will go into overtime.
- Kobe Bryant will hit the game winner in the last seconds of overtime.
- The East and West will combine for at least 260 points.
- Kobe Bryant will be the game's MVP, scoring at least 30 points.

EXPECTED ENTERTAINMENT GRADE: A+


FULL GRADE: A