Predicted East All Star Starting Lineup

by James Finneral

It is that time of year again where fans are voting for their favorite players to make it to this year's All Star game at Madison Square Garden in New York. As anyone who follows the NBA knows the fans determine who the starters for the game are. This method has proven to cause corruption or example when Kobe Bryant was voted a starter in last year's game, but then declined and gave his spot to James Harden of Houston. This article will give a prediction on what the rosters will be based on the performance of the players so far.

Eastern All Star Team:

Starters:

PG: John Wall (Was):
In a conference full of talented point guards John Wall stands out amongst the rest and truly deserves to start in this game. Wall takes on the roll of a true point guard who thinks about his teammates first even when he has the ability to score. He has a league leading 10 assists per game to go along with 17 points. More importantly Wall has dug the Washington Wizards out of the hole they have been in for so long. When Washington drafted him first overall in 2010 they where expecting a franchise player and he has exceeded all expectations and is now the best point guard in the Eastern Conference.

SG: Dwyane Wade (Mia): 
Even though the East is not stacked with shooting guards Dwyane Wade is still and All Star caliber player in the NBA. Playing 11 years in the NBA must take a toll on you and it has not shown in Wade. He still averages 23 points and 5 assists. Wade has stepped up after the departure of LeBron James and kept the Heat in playoff contention. He is a timeless player who is consistent year in and year out.

SF: LeBron James (Cle):
Not surprisingly LeBron James currently leads all players in All Star votes. Although right now he is not the outright frontrunner for the MVP right now he is still a dominant force in the league. LeBron does it all averaging 25 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds a night. He has a nice combination of shooting and driving making it easy for him to draw double teams and pass it out. LeBron is currently out with a knee injury and is projected to return to action next week. He is easily an All Star player and could definitely contend for another MVP.

PF: Carmelo Anthony (NY):
Carmelo Anthony may be a small forward and on a terrible team, but he is still worthy of a starting role on this East team. Anthony is another injured player hoping to come back next week. He is playing on the worst team in the East, but he is trying to stay positive. Anthony is a pure scorer averaging 23 points a night with 6 rebounds. Honestly if he plays for the rest of the season his averages will improve. He is popular enough to make it and he is good enough to make it.

C: Pau Gasol (Chi):
Although he is listed as a power forward, Pau Gasol has the ability to play center and is one of the best big men in the league. Gasol is having a career year with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks a night. More importantly he has been a difference maker for the Chicago Bulls this season. He gives Chicago one of the best front-courts and also attracts double teams to give the ball to Derrick Rose or Jimmy Butler. Gasol has been a great addition to the Bulls as well as the Eastern Conference.

This Year's Orange and a Look Ahead

by James Finneral

After such a great start to the 2013-2014 season Syracuse was eliminated by Dayton fairly early in the NCAA Tournament. This year Syracuse is a brand new team losing many seniors and adding two freshman to their starting five.

So far this has not been the start the Orange were hoping for, losing to the two ranked teams they have played in Michigan and Villanova. They have also lost to California and St. Johns who are two solid non ranked teams. Syracuse's wins have been against sub par teams aside from the Iowa Hawkeyes who recently defeated Ohio State. Overall the Orange stand at a record of 10-4 and do not have an easy road ahead of them. Here is a look at some of the players on this years team.

PG: Kaleb Joseph, Fr:
Kaleb Joseph was one of the high profile recruits that the Orange brought in this year. They hoped to keep up the trend of developing young point guards into NBA caliber players. Joseph is extremely athletic and can score from both inside and outside. Thus far he has done a solid job for the Orange averaging 7 points and 5 assists. As the season continues Syracuse hopes that Joseph can be a leader and a floor general for this team much like Tyler Ennis last year.

SG: Trevor Cooney, Jr:
Trevor Cooney has worked his way up the ranks at Syracuse and is now a leader of this team who needs to perform well in order for the Orange to compete. Cooney is purely a shooter who shoots nearly 40% from beyond the three point arch. He is now the second leading scorer on the team averaging 13 points a game. Cooney is going to have keep his production up to help the Orange fight their way back in the tough ACC.

SF: Michael Gbinije, Jr:
Michael Gbinije, a former Duke Blue Devil is taking on a major role for Syracuse this season. This year Gbinije starts at the small forward and is depended upon to score and rebound the basketball. He is debatably the most athletic player for the Orange this year and can score from three point range as well as get to the basket. He is an X factor for the Orange and they need him to improve throughout the season.

PF: Chris McCullough, Fr:
It was evident from when he committed to Syracuse that Chris McCullough was going to be a major part of this year's team. At 6'10", 220 lbs McCullough is a force in the post, but his athleticism makes him even more of a threat. So far he has been great for the Orange averaging nearly 11 points and 7 rebounds. With McCullough alongside Rakeem Christmas the Orange have one of the best front-courts they have had in a while.

C: Rakeem Christmas, Sr:
As a four year senior Rakeem Christmas understands the system that Jim Boeheim runs at Syracuse. This year all of his hard work is finally paying off. After never averaging more than 6 points in his previous three seasons, Christmas is averaging 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks a game making him one of the top players in the ACC. He has dominated on both ends of the floor and leads the team in points and rebounds. If he keeps up the good work Christmas will cause havoc to just about every front-court the Orange face.

SF: Tyler Roberson, So:
Roberson comes off the bench for the Orange and effectively scores and rebounds the ball averaging 7 points and 5 rebounds. He is a great relief for Gbinije.

SF: B.J. Johnson, So: 
Johnson has the build of a small forward, but he can also play at the shooting guard. He is an exceptional shooter who can come into the game and give the Orange a spark.

G: Ron Patterson, So:
Patterson is an extremely athletic player who can get himself open shots off the dribble. He is an even better defender and can lock down guards in the ACC.


Looking ahead Syracuse has games against the likes of Duke, Louisville, Notre Dame, Virginia and UNC. Although these games will be tough they are not out of reach for the Orange. They have plenty of talent on their roster they just have to gel. I believe the Orange will pick up some quality wins in the ACC and may creep into the top 25. Syracuse is a NCAA tournament caliber team and are just as good as last year's team that was undefeated at this point. It is a tough road ahead and the will of this Orange team will be tested.