Toronto Raptors

Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are reportedly fans of Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported Monday that James and Davis have both "told friends that they like how Nurse coaches." Turner noted the Raptors coach is represented by Klutch Sports, which is also the agency for the Lakers' two cornerstone players.

The update comes after L.A. fired Frank Vogel following one of the most disappointing seasons in recent NBA history as the team missed the playoffs with a 33-49 record.

Despite the interest, it's unclear whether the Lakers have any chance to lure Nurse away from the Raptors.

Turner reported "there hasn't been anything substantiated by way of any discussion from any parties" and added "no one from around the league thinks Toronto will let him leave."

Other candidates listed in the L.A. Times report include the Utah Jazz's Quin Snyder, Philadelphia 76ers' Doc Rivers, University of Michigan's Juwan Howard, Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, former Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford and former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said the front office's goal is to hire a new coach before the 2022 NBA draft, which is scheduled for June 23.

Nurse has been a member of the Raptors' coaching staff since 2013 and was promoted to the head coach in 2018. He's guided the franchise to a 186-122 regular-season record and a 23-12 mark in the playoffs, highlighted by the team's 2019 NBA championship.

Toronto went 48-34 this season and is about to start the postseason, so the Lakers will likely have to wait until that run ends to see whether the 54-year-old Iowa native could be a realistic candidate.

Regardless of whether Los Angeles hires Nurse or another one of the candidates, the most important part of the offseason will be spending a second straight year trying to reconstruct the roster around James and Davis. Last summer's effort failed to deliver results.

The Lakers will also need better health from their All-Star duo, who combined to miss 68 games during the 2021-22 campaign, which played a major role in the team failing to meet expectations.

So, while the coaching hire is critically important, it's one of several factors that will determine whether L.A. bounces back in a major way next season.

If the Los Angeles Lakers move on from head coach Frank Vogel this offseason, the first call could be to the Toronto Raptors.

"I would expect the Lakers to at least ask about Nick Nurse," an Eastern Conference executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.

The executive noted any call could be more for appearances, however, with Nurse currently represented by Andy Miller of Klutch Sports. Klutch also notably represents both Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

"They're not going to let him go," the source said of the Raptors. "But it makes him look better and Klutch look better if they are asking for him, right?"

Nurse would certainly be a top target for any team looking for a coach after his impressive start to his career. The 54-year-old led the Raptors to an NBA title in his first year at the helm in 2018-19. A year later, he won the NBA's Coach of the Year award after keeping the team in contention without Kawhi Leonard.

Despite a down 2020-21 campaign, the Raptors are headed back to the playoffs this year with a 48-33 record with one game remaining.

This type of leadership could help the Lakers, who will miss the playoffs this season. The squad is just 32-49 heading into the final game, falling short of the play-in tournament after entering the year as one of the favorites to win the title.

Though injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis were damaging, the entire roster struggled while ranking 21st in the league in defensive efficiency. The Raptors are currently ninth in the category.

Vogel led the Lakers to a title two years ago, but it seems the team needs a new voice in the locker room to get them back into contention in 2022-23.

While Toronto likely won't want to lose Nurse to Los Angeles, he would be a strong fit for a star-studded roster.

To anyone still sleeping on the Toronto Raptors ahead of the 2022 NBA playoffs: You're not alone.

Also: Wake up.

This is not meant to be a pious revelation delivered from atop a soapbox. On the contrary, it isn't a revelation at all. The story of the 2021-22 Raptors has been demanding more attention for a while—the better part of the season, actually. It just hasn't come, not in the way it deserves.

You'd be forgiven if their latest victory, a 119-114 win over the Sixers on Thursday night without OG Anunoby or Fred VanVleet, was an eye-opening experience. Even at the peak of their powers this season, the Raptors have never headlined discussions dedicated to identifying dark-horse contenders.

never underestimate the 2021-22 toronto raptors

— alex (@steven_lebron) April 8, 2022

Toronto's success has instead unfolded subtly, almost quietly, in the backdrop of surprises, failures and role reversals deemed more integral. Revivals in Boston and Dallas, surges in Memphis and Miami, implosions in Los Angeles and New York, drama in Philly and Brooklyn, even key injuries in Chicago and Denver have cornered the "Hey, look at this!" market.

Blame to some extent falls on the volume of variability. Few NBA seasons in recent memory have included as many surprises. The sheer breadth of unpredictability, both pleasant and not so, has lent itself to a certain chaos ahead of the playoffs that's difficult to fully track or comprehend.

The Memphis Grizzlies have clinched the Western Conference's No. 2 seed. The Brooklyn Nets are an aspiring seven seed. The Los Angeles Lakers will sniff neither the postseason nor play-in. Ditto for the New York Knicks, who finished fourth in the East last year.

James Harden plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. CJ McCollum plays for the New Orleans Pelicans. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to make the playoffs without LeBron James. The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks have transitioned from two of the league's biggest letdowns to home-court-advantage teams with navigable paths to the conference finals—and perhaps beyond.

Little to no room has been made for other what-the-hell instances, particularly when they hail from non-glamour markets. 

And yet, here are the Raptors, in a should-be transitional year, on a 48-plus-win pace, readying themselves for a return to the playoffs after shipping out the greatest player in franchise history for what most considered a punchline return.

What happens next, once the postseason tips off, is debatable. Emphasis on debatable. The fate of this team is not foregone. To think Toronto has only accelerated its next era and remains another year or two away from doing much else undersells just how damn good it is now.

The Raptors last sat at .500 when they were 23-23. Since then, they are 24-10, with a top-five defense and top-seven point differential per 100 possessions.

Pascal Siakam has cemented himself as a viable All-NBA option. He's averaging 24.4 points and 5.4 assists during this 34-game span while knocking down 54.1 percent of his twos and 36.0 percent of his threes.

Pascal Siakam has been the best player on a court tonight that's included Joel Embiid and James Harden.

— Vivek Jacob (@vivekmjacob) April 8, 2022

Fred VanVleet became an All-Star and remains an All-Defense candidate. Scottie Barnes has overachieved in every imaginable area, but especially on offense, where more expansive touch and feel than advertised has earned him crunch-time reps at the point of attack. He might win Rookie of the Year over Evan Mobley—and deserve it.

Gary Trent Jr. is a passing-lane menace who can score at more levels and in more ways than you think. Anunoby has looked most comfortable on offense when the Raptors are at their healthiest and continues to be a defensive superhero. Chris Boucher has found ways to impact games when his three-ball isn't falling while also fouling less.

Thaddeus Young is canning 40 percent of his treys since arriving in Toronto and arguably emerged as the team's best reserve on the back of his defensive IQ. Precious Achiuwa has gone from a footnote in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade to a suffocating positionless defender who flashes just enough dynamism, on just enough occasions, to give off that plucky mystery-box sheen.

this 32-second clip is a TRIP

—precious achiuwa transition three

—drake's reaction

—"i'm speechless!"

—"and you're going to forget about kyle lowry!" pic.twitter.com/7QivmDc7JB

— Dan Favale (@danfavale) April 8, 2022

This is where some will be inclined to look for the exit. Are we really applauding the progress and process of Precious Achiuwa? And the acquisition of 33-year-old Thaddeus Young? And then assigning that playoff value?

There is plenty of merit behind any skepticism. Toronto is early, even by its own admission. "We're not a team of now," president Masai Ujiri said during an appearance on CBC's Front Burner podcast before the season (h/t The Athletic's Eric Koreen).

Ascendance ahead of schedule almost always comes with incompleteness. The Raptors are not supposed to be here, and they're built like it.

Relative shallowness ranks among their most defining flaws. Four players are averaging above 35 minutes per game. Three of them—Anunoby, Siakam and VanVleet—are in the league's top 10 of minutes per game, period. Barnes is the first rookie to clear 35 minutes per game across 70-plus appearances since Andrew Wiggins in 2014-15.

Extended and somewhat extended absences from Anunoby, Siakam and VanVleet have exacerbated the issue. Toronto's five most important players—the aforementioned three plus Barnes and Trent—have appeared in just 21 games together.

Perfect bills of health don't exist, though. Especially this year. And even at full strength, the Raptors have red flags.

Chief among them: the half-court offense. Siakam and VanVleet are the only true primary creators on the team, and the bench is devoid of any reliable floor generals. Toronto is 26th in half-court efficiency on the season and just 25th since leaving .500 in the rearview.

Hot outside shooting could be a safety net when things bog down, if only the Raptors had it. They are 26th in three-point-attempt rate and hovering around league-average efficiency from deep over this half-season stretch.

Imagine Pascal Siakam with proper spacing. He’s so crafty and nimble because the raptors just have no shooting 😩

— i. adan (@Imman_Adan) April 7, 2022

Subsisting on top-two transition and offensive-rebounding frequency won't cut it in the playoffs. Certain defenses will have the personnel to limit both, at which point the Raptors will need to diversify. 

Or maybe not.

A probable first-round matchup with the Sixers currently awaits. The Raptors should be thrilled. Philly's transition defense struggles even at full capacity, and its second-most important stopper overall, Matisse Thybulle, currently isn't eligible to play games in Toronto.

This says nothing of the Raptors' bandwidth to actually navigate the half court. The Pascal Siakam captaining them now isn't the same guy who barely looked like he could maintain a straight-line dribble during the 2020 playoffs.

There is greater directionality and feel and composure to his methodical attacks, and he has proved capable of deferring to Barnes for possessions at a time. Almost no one outside Toronto will tab him as the best player in any given playoff series, but his latest offensive leap absolutely gives him that kind of ceiling, almost regardless of the opponent.

Embiid on Siakam. The play was for GTJ to screen for Pascal Siakam to get Maxey in the action. Embiid goes under both times, Siakam decides to go to work. He's been tough. pic.twitter.com/LFjiINMbzL

— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) April 8, 2022

VanVleet, meanwhile, remains universally scalable. He is optimized away from the ball but has more of a command over the set offense than ever when called upon. Between him, Siakam and Barnes, the Raptors can chisel out enough first-chance half-court scores to overcome dwindling second-chance and fast-break volume. (For what it's worth, they are also ninth in half-court efficiency over their most recent 7-1 stretch.)

Maybe this view of the Raptors offense skews toward overly optimistic. That's fine. Their defense is built to overcome it—to dictate pace and style, and if need be, to inflict and thrive within arduous grinds.

No team forces turnovers on a larger share of their opponent's possessions. That hyper-aggression isn't going anywhere. The Raptors have the length and athleticism and overarching versatility to upkeep their frenetic energy against anyone, so much so they're nearly matchup-proof.

Switching is second nature to them now and usually unfolds without a hitch. Some of head coach Nick Nurse's lineups are egregiously, unforgivably anti-offense (see: playing Achiuwa, Barnes and Khem Birch together against the Sixers), but they also make it difficult to find or hunt mismatches.

The number of actions and screens Philly needed to go through Thursday night on certain occasions just to get Joel Embiid in more ideal positioning was exhausting to watch. Imagine having to actually face such a collectively unabated motor for 48 minutes, every second or third day, up to seven times. Good luck.

https://twitter.com/JJMaples55_MST/status/1512243133039333377

None of this is to say the Raptors will enter the playoffs as quasi-title favorites. But putting a cap on their postseason stock would be comparably extreme. They are not just some intrepid, happy-to-be-here upstart destined to fold.

Surviving the first round almost feels like a betting-favorite scenario at this point, so long as the Sixers remain their matchup and superstar shot-making continues to elude Harden. And things don't get much more harrowing in prospective semifinals showdowns. 

Should the Raptors really fear a Nets team that won't have Kyrie Irving for the games played in Toronto? Or an Atlanta Hawks squad averse to getting back on defense off live-ball misses and turnovers? Or a best-in-the-East Heat team that has turned in a below-average half-court offense when Lowry, Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler share the floor?

Punching an Eastern Conference Finals ticket is not Toronto's most likely playoff outcome. It's also not outside the realm of possibility—which is the entire point.

Amid the fanfare and furor over this season's steady, unrelenting avalanche of "Eureka!" developments and progressions and pivots, the Raptors are crafting a message for everyone, repeatedly, without reprieve:

They're here, too.

    

Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Stathead or Cleaning the Glass and accurate entering Thursday's games. Salary information via Spotrac.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale), and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by NBA Math's Adam Fromal.

Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet shouldered the responsibility of Saturday's 127-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

"As the leader, as the point guard, I take the responsibility for the performance that we put together these last two nights," he told reporters. "We've gotta be better. It's time to wake up and at least fight; fight a little bit more and just play together and have a bit more resolve."

He continued: "We play young and dumb a lot. Sometimes we get away with it and sometimes we don't."

It was Toronto's second blowout loss in a row coming out of the All-Star break after Friday's 125-93 defeat to the Charlotte Hornets. The club is also just 1-4 in its last five games, although VanVleet remains optimistic.

"I believe in this team," he said. "I think we'll be back to playing at the level that we need to be playing at, hopefully sooner than later. I take full responsibility for the poor performances, and I'm looking forward to getting this team back to where we need to be."

While the Raptors shot just 40 percent from the field in the loss to the Hawks, the offense wasn't the biggest issue. VanVleet led the way with 24 points and nine assists, and the team had just 11 turnovers.

However, Toronto consistently struggled to stop Atlanta.

Trae Young poured in 41 points to go with 11 assists as the home team shot a blistering 57.8 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from deep. The Raptors didn't have OG Anunoby because of a fractured finger and couldn't find anyone to consistently slow down the Hawks' star point guard.

The back-to-back losses to the Hawks and Hornets are particularly concerning because they are jockeying for position with them in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament picture. Toronto holds the No. 7 seed but is just one game ahead of the Brooklyn Nets, three games ahead of the Hornets and 3.5 games ahead of the Hawks.

The Raptors would surely like to catch the sixth-seeded Boston Celtics by making up their 2.5-game deficit to avoid the play-in tournament entirely, but staying out of the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds would at least help them avoid a win-or-go-home game to start the play-in tournament.

For now, VanVleet is focused on turning things around ahead of a critical back-to-back against the Nets on Monday and Tuesday.           

Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby fractured his right ring finger and is expected to miss some time, the team said Friday. He will miss Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, and it's unclear when he might return. 

It's unclear when the fracture occurred. According to Sportsnet, he was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Raptors head coach Nick Nurse told reporters Friday that Anunoby had been dealing with the injury for some time, according to Sports Illustrated's Aaron Rose. He added that the team is going to get a second opinion on the ailment:

I think it's been proven he can probably play through it, but I think we need someone to assure him or us of that to make sure that is the case or maybe someone can fix it, heal it fast so that we can get him back and go from there.

Anunoby has appeared in just 42 games this season. He had a stint on the COVID-19 list and also dealt with a hip injury earlier this season. Despite missing time, the 24-year-old is averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 43.6 percent from the floor and 35.1 percent from deep.

The Raptors selected Anunoby 23rd overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. His role has increased each season since then, though he only appeared in 43 games last season and hasn't been as durable over the last couple of years. 

With Anunoby sidelined, Nurse said Khem Birch would start in his place against the Hornets on Friday, while Thad Young could also see more playing time moving forward. Birch has appeared in 31 games this season and is averaging 5.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists. 

Young, meanwhile, has only appeared in two games for the Raptors since coming over in a trade from the San Antonio Spurs. 

The Raptors are seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 32-25 record. They're trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. 

The Brooklyn Nets pursued a trade with the Toronto Raptors that would've sent Nic Claxton north of the border, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe.

Lowe reported on his Lowe Post podcast (via RealGM) the two teams were "very close to a deal," with Brooklyn receiving a protected first-round pick.

The Nets acquired Andre Drummond from the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the James Harden/Ben Simmons swap. Head coach Steve Nash can also throw out LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin and Day'Ron Sharpe at the 5.

When asked why Nic Claxton didn’t see minutes tonight, Steve Nash noted it was due to depth.

“We have five centers. It’s very hard for them all to play. He’s got to be patient and see how we go here.”

— Chris Milholen (@ChrisMilholen) February 15, 2022

Through 25 games this year, Claxton is averaging 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. During Brooklyn's postseason run last year, he was effective inside, putting up 11.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per 100 possessions, according to Basketball Reference. 

But the Nets' depth at center made him a bit expendable given the franchise's aims. In the event general manager Sean Marks wanted to continue dealing ahead of the deadline, the 6'11" big man was a natural trade asset.

Whether this season or in the summer, the first-rounder from the Raptors could've been leveraged to address another area of the floor. Lowe speculated Brooklyn might have wanted to land a wing or a proven shooter, throwing out Robert Covington as a possible target.

Instead, Claxton will remain with the Nets for the remainder of this year and heads into the summer as a bit of a wild card given he's eligible for restricted free agency.

Brooklyn is on pace to have an estimated luxury tax bill of $18.8 million with nine players under contract for a combined $158 million, per Spotrac.

Claxton might be looking for a new team on which he'd have a more clearly defined role, and it's not hard to envision a GM making an aggressive play to bet on the 22-year-old's upside. 

In the event Claxton is in a different uniform next year, Marks might rue failing to cash in on his trade value.

Before the Dallas Mavericks traded power forward Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards, they were reportedly negotiating with the Toronto Raptors.

NBA insider Marc Stein reports that talks fell apart because the Raptors had trepidations over Porzingis' extensive injury history.

"Toronto, league sources say, stepped away because of concerns about Porzingis' long-term health," Stein wrote.

The Mavericks managed to pivot quickly after talks ended with the Raptors, trading Porzingis to the Wizards in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Stein noted that Washington was open to business because the team was ready to move on from both players.

"The Wizards, sources say, went ahead with the trade on their end—to add to the bluntness—because they were as eager to ship out Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans as the Mavericks were to move on from the idea that Porzingis could be the ideal co-star for Luka Doncic," Stein stated.

Porzingis hasn't played since Jan. 29 because of knee soreness. He's dealt with multiple ailments throughout the season that have limited him to 34 games. The 26-year-old is averaging 19.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks this year.

According to Stein, the Wizards were actually more interested in parting ways with Dinwiddie than they were in acquiring Porzingis. The veteran point guard reportedly didn't have a good reputation in the Washington organization.

"The Wizards, in truth, were actually even more eager to rid themselves of Dinwiddie (who is said to have turned off numerous co-workers in his brief time in DC) and Bertans (who has declined steadily and worryingly since signing a five-year, $80 million contract in November 2020) than Dallas was to shake things up," Stein wrote.

It is unclear when Porzingis or Dinwiddie can make their respective debuts for their new teams. Dallas will return to action on Tuesday against the Miami Heat while Washington will host the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

The San Antonio Spurs have reportedly acquired guard Goran Dragic in a deal with the Toronto Raptors ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN shared the full details of the deal:

The Raptors are trading Dragic and protected 2022 first-round picks to the Spurs for Thad Young, Drew Eubanks and a 2022 second-round pick via Pistons, sources tell ESPN. Pick is protected 1-14 in 2022; 1-13 in 2023 and would turn into two seconds beyond that. https://t.co/SN0sFyVurm

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

Wojnarowski also reported the Spurs are expected to buy out Dragic, with the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks interested in signing him once he's a free agent.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports said the Mavericks are the "favorites" to land Dragic after his buyout. However, Marc Stein cautioned that the buyout "may not be immediate" and that the Mavericks "will face real competition to land" Dragic.

Dragic has appeared in just five games for the Raptors this season, averaging 8.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game before stepping away because of a personal matter. He spent the past six-plus seasons with the Miami Heat, but he was sent to Toronto along with Precious Achiuwa in the sign-and-trade for Kyle Lowry.

After initially indicating Toronto was not his "preferred destination," Dragic apologized to fans for his comments.

"It didn't come out the right way," he told Michael Grange of Sportsnet. "I know they love their team, and they should be proud, it is one of the best organizations in the NBA. They've already won a championship and I didn't, so what I said, it really was not appropriate."

Dragic now gets to move on and look for a fresh start with a likely playoff contender.

The 35-year-old has been an impact player throughout his NBA career, both as a starter and off the bench. He earned an All-Star selection in 2017-18 en route to averaging a team-high 17.3 points and 4.8 assists per game, one year after matching a personal best with 20.3 points per game.

In 2019-20, the guard was a key part of the Heat run to the NBA Finals while averaging 19.1 points across 17 postseason games.

Injuries slowed down Dragic in 2020-21, but he finished with averages of 13.4 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 37.3 percent from three-point range.

The Slovenian will now look to rebound while trying to help whichever squad he ultimately lands with finish the season on a high note. The Spurs are in the worst shape of any of the aforementioned landing spots, sitting 13th in the West with a 20-35 record.

Dragic brings 14 years of experience to go with his on-court ability as a perimeter scorer and facilitator, providing a significant offensive boost to his new team. A big finish to the season would also help him individually ahead of free agency in the offseason.

Young, who averaged 6.1 points in 26 appearances for the Spurs this season, figures to take on a reserve role in the Toronto frontcourt.

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly shopping guard Gordan Dragic ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported the Raptors are looking to bolster their rotation with a wing or big man, using Dragic's expiring contract as bait.

The veteran guard has been away from the Raptors since November while dealing with a personal issue. There has been no indication of whether he will play again this season.

The Raptors have moved themselves into sixth place in the Eastern Conference but have one of the NBA's thinnest rotations. Each of their starters are averaging at least 34.8 minutes per game, and the team regularly limits its rotation to eight players going for meaningful minutes.

Dragic, 35, spent the previous six-and-a-half seasons with the Miami Heat but was came to Toronto as part of a sign-and-trade package that sent Kyle Lowry to Miami. 

Any team willing to acquire Dragic would likely be doing so with the idea of getting out from under a long-term contract and/or acquiring a draft pick. 

Toronto Raptors star Fred VanVleet has committed to competing in the Three-Point Contest at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. 

The full list of participants has yet to be announced. 

VanVleet has been one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA this season. The 27-year-old ranks third in the league with 179 three-pointers made. He's also shooting 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. 

VanVleet is in the midst of his best season in Toronto following the departure of Kyle Lowry to the Miami Heat. He leads the team in scoring with 21.6 points per game and is also averaging 4.7 rebounds and 7.2 assists. 

In addition to VanVleet, Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young has expressed interest in competing in the Three-Point Contest if selected to the All-Star Game, which he was.

Young participated in the Three-Point Contest during the 2020 All-Star Game and was eliminated in the first round. Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield won the event that year. 

Fans will also hope Golden State Warriors star and reigning Three-Point Contest champion Stephen Curry competes in the event, though he hasn't committed to competing. 

If VanVleet wins the event, he would become the first Raptors player to do so since 2008, when Jason Kapono won for the second straight year. 

This year's All-Star Weekend kicks off on Feb. 18 with the Celebrity Game and Rising Stars Game. The Skills Contest will take place Feb. 19.