2023 4^th Annual NSL All-Star Weekend: All-Star Teams




Welcome, all, to the 4^th Annual NSL All-Star Weekend!

This occasion is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the great players that make our game and league the greatest in the world.

Recognition as an All-Star carries weight; forever, you will be revered in a manner that is reserved for the few. The best players in the World are �All-Star type players�, and this nomination and selection is a validation of all they have hoped for as young people loving the game and wanting to play in the pros, and the big games, one day.

The All-Star festivities will be hosted by Dylan and Rootsey � thank you, gentleman. Pistol has created a site function that makes picking teams so interactive, so easy, so exciting. Thank you for your hard work, Pistol!

The Western Conference All-Star team will be co-selected and co-coached by jmac and Nelso. The Eastern Conference All-Star team will be selected and coached by Shams.

Without further ado, let�s get the draft underway!

*Coaches agreed that due to the better record, the West would pick the first starter, and the East would pick the first reserve.


STARTERS

WEST: PICK 1 � Giannis

No brainer, here. Giannis is the best player in the game and as versatile as any. The first pick in a dynasty league, first pick in the All-Star game. He is a basketball God.

EAST: PICK 2 � LeBron James
The King goes back East, with Shams anointing one of the greatest of all time as the team captain. Much like with Giannis, versatility is elite. Loves to dominate an All-Star game.

WEST: PICK 3 � KD
Nelso takes his boy, Jmac takes his boy. Durant is arguably the easiest-elite scorer of all time. Can play any role and win games. Two big wings for West.

EAST: PICK 4 � Joel Embiid
The East pick the first �traditional big� for the event, Embiid, and now have two brutes to build the team around. Can any player stop Embiid if he�s at the 4?

WEST: PICK 5 � Jayson Tatum
The West appear to be prioritising the big, two-way wings, with Tatum fitting the bill. Tatum could be a sneaky MVP chance with how he is playing. Celtics have an All-Star!

EAST: PICK 6 � Nikola Jokic
Shams shows his hand now, with Jokic coming off the board to compare with Embiid. The East want to bludgeon the West with size and strength. Is he fast enough to keep up in this free-and-easy game? He�s probably the smartest.

WEST: PICK 7 � Jarrett Allen
After some official deliberation regarding positions, and seeing the bigs flying off the board, the West coaches select Allen. He is the perfect complementary big, and stopped the East dominating the glass.

EAST: PICK 8 � Stephen Curry
Surprisingly (or not), the Chef comes off the board before Luka. Curry and Lebron is a perfect pairing, if Lebron is a guard? Curry is obviously the greatest shooter and showman.

WEST: PICK 9 � Luka Doncic
The West coaches were seen visibly celebrating when Luka fell to them with their final starters� pick. Luka will play the point guard spot and create arguably the biggest �wet-dream� of a modern team that there ever was. The shortest player is 6�8�.

EAST: PICK 10 � SGA
SGA is the last kid at the playground to be picked, but you can�t feel too bad being a top ten player. Shams has to slide LeBron to the forward spot, but he won�t be mad � he�s got traditional fits at his positions, and a whole lot of skill.

Team Nels

Giannis Antetokounmpo (F)
Kevin Durant (F)
Jayson Tatum (F)
Jarrett Allen (C)
Luka Doncic (G

Team Shams

Lebron James (G)
Joel Embiid (F)
Nikola Jokic (C)
Stephen Curry (G)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G

RESERVES

EAST: PICK 11 � Jimmy Butler

The Dawg, and current Cavalier, Jimmy G. Buckets, was first reserved pick and will anchor the East bench. Coach Shams adores Jimmy, so this was probably organised prior to the draft. Provides size and defense.

WEST: PICK 12 � Anthony Davis

To counteract the size from the East, Davis was an easy decision for the West coaches. With his ability to dominate the paint on both ends, but also play off-ball, it�s the perfect blend to make an All-Star impact.

EAST: PICK 13 � DeAndre Ayton
East continue to pick the tallest, strongest players and will look to dominate the game in the way that 2k likes � inside finishing and putbacks. Deandre, the beloved Raptor, might lead the game in rebounds.

WEST: PICK 14 � Bam Adebayo
Similar to Davis, Bam brings a finesse and offensive versatility with his defense. When you are playing with the best players in the world, sometimes its better to fit in than stand out.

EAST: PICK 15 � Domantas Sabonis
Is Sabonis going to play point guard? Shams said �fuck your expectations� at this point and just decided to dominate the market for any kind of size. If the West can�t get any height, do East win?

WEST: PICK 16 � Paul George
This pick solidified the strategy from the West, a counter-argument to Shams� big man strategy. The West team possesses arguably five of the best big wings in the entire league. A great study in team-building is brewing.

EAST: PICK 17 � Zion Williamson
Ya best be bloody tall or bloody strong if you want to get picked by the East. Zion joins a stable of front court brutes that will look to dunk on, over and eat the West wings.

WEST: PICK 18 � James Harden
Portland�s No.1, James Harden, finds his way back to coach Jmac for one last hurrah. Harden was arguably the best guard out of the reserves, so to get him at pick 18 is value. The team could use a guard.

EAST: PICK 19 � Kristaps Porzingis
All the bigs are gone, and the East really set out to disrupt the market and make the West sweat in trying to keep up. Dominating the resources of big men has now been well and truly validated. How exciting!

WEST: PICK 20 � Jaylen Brown
Shams and Nelso were staring each other in the eyes at this point, with Nelso muttering �fuck your strategy� and doubling-down on the �wings get rings� mantra. Jaylen Brown, is this teams� sixth best wing. Bloody hell. Modern masterpiece?

EAST: PICK 21 � Devin Booker
Wet like I�m Book. So cool. Booker breaks a run of about five front court players for the East. Balance was required, and Booker should have a field day with his usage and chances with all the rebounds.

WEST: PICK 22 � JaVale McGee

This was a defensive pick. The last remaining big, the West had to try and hold onto some size. I�m surprised McGee was voted in. Surely a 2k legacy nod, for a career of overachieving in the game. Will be critical off the bench.

EAST: PICK 23 � C.J. McCollum
Another one of Shams� players, C.J. was always going East. Yawn.

WEST: PICK 24 � Dejounte Murray
Shams ex was welcomed to the West with open arms. If you are putting C.J. up against Dejounte, I am backing Dejounte.

EAST: PICK 25 � Russell Westbrook
I do love this Shams guy. The bravado to select public enemy no.1 of basketball, Russ, ahead of Kyrie Irving (public enemy no.1A of sanity).

WEST: PICK 26 � Kyrie Irving

Rounding out the reserves and finalising the teams, Irving joins Jmac and Nelso on the Western Conference team. He doesn�t have much time, but don�t put it past Kyrie to destroy the West team in just a few days.

Team Shams

Lebron James (G)
Joel Embiid (F)
Nikola Jokic (C)
Stephen Curry (G)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G)

Jimmy Butler (G)
Deandre Ayton (C)
Domantas Sabonis (F)
Zion Williamson (F)
Kristaps Porzingis (F)
Devin Booker (G)
C.J. McCollum (G)
Russell Westbrook (G)

Team Nels

Giannis Antetokounmpo (F)
Kevin Durant (F)
Jayson Tatum (F)
Jarrett Allen (C)
Luka Doncic (G)

Anthony Davis (F)
Edrice Adebayo (F)
Paul George (F)
James Harden (G)
Jaylen Brown (F)
JaVale McGee (C)
Dejounte Murray (G)
Kyrie Irving (G)

Best of luck to both teams! Enjoy the All-Star festivities.