Shai and JDub face off in All-Star Game tourney

Global Stars (Shai's team) vs. Young Stars (JDub's team)

Tip-off: 7:20 PM Semifinal / 9:00 PM Final | Broadcast: TNT

The All-Star Game will have a different format (again) tonight, with a mini-tournament between All-Star contestants starting things off with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Global Stars, coached by Mark Daigneault) and Jalen Williams (Young Stars, coached by OKC's Dave Bliss) in the rare* circumstance lined up as opponents. TNT personalities and corporate sponsors also comprise the official details, but you'll see plenty of them crammed onto the screen tonight.

SGA is on a stacked, imposing collection of international behemoths including Giannis and Jokic, and JDub is on a tough, exciting underdog squad featuring Anthony Edwards and Evan Mobley. The winner of this one will face the winner of the OG All-Stars (coached by Kenny Atkinson) and the Rising Stars Team C (coached by Candace Parker). Either way, a Thunder player will be on the final stage with a chance to ooh and ahh hoops fans eager to be entertained. Even if the games still suck.

*They probably scrimmage harder against each other pretty frequently, but those highlight clips aren't as cool.

Prediction: Global Stars def. Young, OG Stars for All-Star Crown

And Shai wins MVP.

I hope it's fun, but I'm dubious. I do think the shorter games will make the lackadaisical play less mind numbing to get through, at worst. But if they really wanted to duplicate the In-Season Tournament's success, they should've put money on the line. Instead, they're leaning into shaming the players to play harder. Thankfully we didn't get this outcome, but the league's tournament addiction could've led to us watching LeBron or Shai play against actual G-Leaguers for the All-Star Game crown tonight.

Now that I've griped: we're lucky Amen Thompson's team won the Rising Stars pre-tourney and they did pretty well splitting the rosters up. On paper, there is plenty of fun to be had tonight. Fingers crossed.