The NBA All-Star weekend festivities will begin on Friday with the Castrol Rising Stars tournament. This year’s event features four teams of seven players, with the winner advancing to compete against the best-of-the-best in the main All-Star tournament.
Joe Dellera is predicting Team Mitch as the tournament winner, citing their continuity and roster balance. The team has a pair of teammates from the Wizards and Blazers, plus experienced defenders like Toumani Camara and Bilal Coulibaly. Their path to the championship game seems relatively easy.
However, Joe also likes Team Chris, coached by five-time All-Star Chris Mullin. Mullin’s team features a more balanced roster with size advantages on both ends of the court. The coach believes that Team Chris has enough talent to survive and advance into the final round.
According to Joe, taking the favorite in this contest may seem counterintuitive, but it’s hard to argue against Team Mitch’s chances. With their experienced defenders and solid depth, they appear to be the team to beat in this format.
The tournament will feature two rounds: semifinals and finals. The first team to reach 40 points advances to the final round, where the team that reaches 25 points is crowned the champion.
Source: https://www.actionnetwork.com/nba/nba-rising-starts-predictions-picks-odds-for-friday-february-14