Three weeks and counting until #The6ix becomes the basketball capital of the world as 24 of the world's best players entertain us with their unparalleled skill and style. Until then, allow the hosts of TSN 1050's #1On1 with Will & Duane, Will Strickland and Duane Watson to take their talents to the keyboard, along with Basketball Alberta Executive Director and host of TSN 1260 Edmonton's The Basketball Hour, Paul Sir, and bring you the NBA News, Views and Truths in this week's edition of #3MW!

With the 10-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant's 81-point game, do you think that total will ever be topped?

Watson: I think the only person who's capable of topping an 81 point outburst is Stephen Curry, as we've seen him get hot in a hurry. However, Curry often doesn't get to complete games as his team is in a commanding league by the fourth quarter, and gets rested. With that being said, it could only happen as it did for Bryant, with his team genuinely needing him to continue to score. With the balance of offence and weapons on the Warriors, I couldn't see them relying solely on him to win a game. So likely not.

Sir: While it is hard to imagine in today's NBA, there will come a day when a dominant player has that special night. As great as Stephen Curry is, he would have to have a stat line like 6 for 11 from inside the arc, 18 for 29 from deep and make 16 of 17 free throws. Don't see that happening and really don't believe anyone else can match Kobe's relentlessness.

Strickland: Plausible. So many stars have to align at the right time for something like this. Professional scorers like Wardell Stephen Curry and Kevin Wayne Durant would have to put up video game math, along with the help/support of teammates who want to see you crack that number.

Did former Cavs head coach David Blatt get a fair shake in Cleveland?

Watson: Not really, but his days were numbered as soon as LeBron James signed on the dotted line. He wasn't LeBron's coach and not having that NBA pedigree, whether having coached or played in the NBA, definitely hurt him, more so his ability to challenge LeBron James. There's a fine balance of pushing too far and pushing enough to earn his respect. Blatt couldn't find the latter. The Cavs had their head coach all along in Tyronn Lue and didn't wait to name him as such once Blatt was out the door. No interim tag, no problem.

Sir: Absolutely not. This is LeBron's team and Blatt was never respected by him. As great as LeBron is, he would be tough to coach. James possesses a very high basketball IQ and never bought into David Blatt, who was hired before he re-signed with the Cavs. How do the Cavs sign Gregg Popovich, because that's the only coach I think LeBron would listen to?

Strickland: No. But maybe not for the reasons many have jumped on to craft easy bake narratives rooted in convenient amnesia. Cavs GM David Griffin, sitting on the largest payroll in the NBA today, knows full well the pressure on his franchise to win a title in Cleveland if not now, soon. Griffin is responsible for bringing Blatt in before they re-acquired LeBron Raymone James. They had to have known Blatt was basically a dead coach walking the day he signed the deal without having the endorsement of the team's best player. For the Cavs to entrust a man who'd never even been an assistant coach in the NBA, much less a pro coach ever anywhere in North America, with their quest for the Lawrence O'Brien was... well... very Cleveland-like. Cavs gon' Cav!

What should the NBA do about The Hack-A-__________ (insert name of bad free throw shooter) strategy?

Watson: Well if NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy was commissioner, The Hack-A-Shooter would be an All-Star event! This question comes up every season and the concern is, do you protect poor free throw shooters, and I feel the answer is no. It is far from entertaining to watch, but better believe that Andre Drummond has been working on his free throw shot in earnest, after missing 14 of them vs. the Warriors. Basketball is a sport, Don Nelson used the Hack-A-Shaq as a strategy and that trumps entertainment value in my eyes.

Sir: They have to leave it. Maybe the responsibility needs to fall on the terrible free throw shooters! What a novel idea - work hard on your free throw shooting. If Kawhi Leonard can become a great 3-point shooter, then DeAndre Jordan can become a 60-70 per cent foul shooter. Get your millionaire butts in the gym!

Strickland: Nothing. Naturally, the strategy, which effectively kills any game's fluidity of play, is an eyesore to the entertainment value desired by the home office in Gotham and the fans who fork over their hard-earned shekels. But players like Hyland DeAndre Jordan and Andre Jamal Drummond, who recently set the NBA record for most missed free throws in one game in NBA history with 23, make millions of dollars to at least work on skill development in an area both and many others are sorely lacking. You have but one job... One.

Does the fact that Zaza Pachulia was 14,000 votes away from being a starter for the West illustrate how flawed the fan voting system is for the All-Star Game?

Watson: The legal practice of Silver & Co. dodged a bullet on this one. The world balanced itself out with Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard sliding into the starting line-ups with a surge for the final ballot. While voting is fun for the fans, the NBA has made it too easy, and that's how we're seeing the system become manipulated. It has transparently become a popularity contest, not just for the players, but the people of influence who can sway a population and that's what's concerning.

Sir: It's a joke but the NBA doesn't have the will to make the change to a coach-player vote because they really think the fans are more engaged if they control the selections. Too bad for the players who deserve the acknowledgement but we will continue to endure the Zaza's at All-Star time.

Strickland: Flawed? It's voting for a meaningless game, not Presidential elections! Actually, it's more #VoteForPedro sans Napoleon Dynamite's dance to push his candidacy over the top. The man with the best non-nickname handle in the Association, Zaza Pachulia, has been having a fantastic season, at least for him, with the 25-20 Dallas Mavericks, currently sitting as the sixth seed in the West after being a bridesmaid again in free agency this past summer. Zaza is tied for 11th in double-doubles, ahead of All-Star reserves, presumptive or otherwise, like Chris Paul, Chris Bosh, Paul Millsap and Draymond Green. Of course he's not an All Star, but sometimes meritocracy and democracy don't always see eye to eye!

What are the keys to the Raptors' current seven-game winning streak?

Watson: The knock will be only one of the seven teams in the streak were above .500 and the Heat were decimated by injury. The knock will be the seven-game streak wasn't a collection of dominant and picturesque wins. The knocks are poppycock! What this Raptors squad has found is ways to grow during the course of the streak. Initially they were just getting through games, but as it has progressed they have found ways to make the corrections sooner. Defence is the hallmark of the streak, as it has been for this season, with only two of those teams scoring over 100 points in defeat. More importantly, it's been the consistency in the second unit with Terrence Ross and Patrick Patterson finding their stride, knocking down threes, driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line. By the time you read the Three Man Weave next week, the Raptors will still be on their streak, with a franchise-best 11 in a row and will have run the table on their seven-game road stand. You heard it here first.

Sir: 1) Lowry's and DeRozan's continued efficient and impressive play. They are getting their teammates involved at the right times while making plays and shots at a very high level consistently. 2) Team defence anchors. 3) Pushing the ball in transition. The Raptors get better shots when they are playing up tempo.  Dwane Casey should be in the Coach of the Year talk along with Pop, Luke Kerr :) and David Blatt... Oh! That's right! The coach of the team with the best record in the East doesn't have a job anymore!

Strickland: Say what you will about the level of competition faced during the losing streak after the Raptors climbed to second place in the Eastern Conference standings, playing a very tough first half of the season while dealing with major injuries of Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll. No one cries for you in the NBA. Wins are wins! Trust. Consistency. Improved bench contribution. Defence. Depth. Dwane Casey. Kyle Lowry. DeMar Darnell DeRozan. Fin.

Paul Sir (@psir4540) can be found trying to defeat former NBA slam dunk champ Jason Richardson in donut dunking while balancing on one foot on TSN 1260's The Basketball Hour. Duane Watson (@DuaneWatson) and Will Strickland (@wallstrizzle1) will continue plying their trade in Advanced Hoop Sciences at a special time of 1pm this Saturday on #1On1 with Will & Duane, only on TSN 1050 and TSN.ca.