2024 All-Star Saturday Night: Headlined by Wave of Recent Draftees

The present and future of the NBA will be on display throughout All-Star Weekend, especially on All-Star Saturday night where players from the past four draft cycles will be front and center. All-Star Saturday Night is always a captivating night and will feature four exciting events: the Kia Skills Challenge, Starry 3-Point Contest, Stephen vs. Sabrina 3-Point Challenge and the AT&T Slam Dunk Competition 

Outside of the bonus event featuring Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, every single competition will feature at least one player taken since the 2020 NBA Draft which speaks to the young talent that is taking over the league. 

Let’s dive into those players from these recent draft cycles and some predictions for All-Star Saturday Night.

Kia Skills Challenge

Participants:

• Team Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner
• Team All-Stars: Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Trae Young (Hawks)
• Team Top Picks: Paolo Banchero (Magic), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota), Victor Wembamyama (Spurs)

Tyrese Haliburton (2020, 12th overall) and Bennedict Mathurin (2022, 6th overall) lead the way for the host city. Haliburton has become the face of the Pacers while being selected as an All-Star starter for the first time (two-time standard all-star). In his two seasons with the Pacers, Mathurin has become a core member of the franchise and one of the game’s best bench scorers (15.6ppg in 130 games, 32 starts).

Scottie Barnes (2021, 4th overall) is another first-time All-Star and now the official face of the Raptors with the trade of his predecessor, Pascal Siakim, to the Pacers. Maxey (2020, 21st overall), joins the growing trend of first-time All-Stars from the past four draft cycles and has formed a formidable duo with last year’s NBA MVP, Joel Embiid.

Each member of Team Picks, Edwards (2020), Banchero (2022), and Wembamyama (2023) are living up to the lofty expectations of the first pick and are not only just faces of their respective teams, but will be the faces of the NBA. While Edwards and Banchero are first-time All-Stars and Wembamyama should be in the near future, expect all three to be perennial All-Stars moving forward and factor into future MVP races throughout their careers.

Winner Prediction: Team All-Stars

Starry 3-Point Contest

Participants:

• Malik Beasley (Bucks)
• Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
• Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)
• Damian Lillard (Bucks)
• Lauri Markkanen (Jazz)
• Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
• Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves)
• Trae Young (Hawks)

Haliburton is the lone recent draftee representative here, shooting 40% from three on 7.9 attempts per game this season. The former lottery pick is having a breakout campaign. 

Winner Prediction: Trae Young

AT&T Slam Dunk Contest

Participants:

• Jaylen Brown (Celtics)

• Jaime Jacquez Jr. (Heat)

• Mac McClung (G League/Osceola Magic)

• Jacob Toppin (Knicks)

Jacquez Jr. (2023, 18th overall) has been one of the best players and values in last year’s draft, defying plenty of expectations and will be aiming to do the same in the dunk contest. Toppin (2023, Undrafted), is one of the best players in the G League with averages of 21.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.6 stocks and 1.7 stocks per game. The high flyer is a sneaky candidate to win and could leave his mark on the night.

Winner Prediction: Mac McClung 

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