NBA All Star Weekend is quite officially in #The6ix! And Will Strickland and Duane Watson, hosts of TSN 1050's #1On1 with Will & Duane, select top rookie/#1On1's super producer Sean Woodley for the #WeaveToAchieve squad as a replacement for the "injured" Duane as Sean and Will #GivexGo to celebrate the great game created by Canadian Dr. James Naismith in this week's edition of #3MW!

Did the Raptors' loss to the lowly Timberwolves right before the All-Star break expose them a bit?

Strickland: No, but the mentality behind it can be viewed as disappointing. It was a moment Coach Casey feared: a young, but veteran squad not closing out business effectively vs. a subpar foe before the break. Hard to hand-wring over a team who has won 14 of its last 16, currently in second place in the Eastern Conference and possessing the fifth-best record in the league. But the difference between being an elite team in the Association and just a very good one is a collective mind state to close out properly vs. bad teams, limit bad losses and continue to establish a culture of sustainability and success.

Woodley: Not really. If there was ever a game that you could give the Raptors a pass for losing, it was the fifth game of the road trip, on the eve of the All-Star break, after winning 14 of the previous 15 games. Not to mention, Wednesday night probably won’t be the last time the tandem of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins carry the Wolves to an impressive victory. Some people may want to obsess over the loss because of the Wolves’ putrid record, but that’s just picking nits. These weird losses happen all the time and it will be a distant memory once the schedule gets back up and running next week.

If you were NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for a day, what would be the three main league-wide issues you would discuss in your State of the Association address?

Strickland: As a sports entertainment entity, the NBA must consider the quality and value of its product. Long instant replay breaks by the officials stunt the game's natural ebb and flow, as does the Hack-A-Whoever. These flaws would have to be remedied first before the thought of contraction, yes, contraction and not expansion, can be considered.

Woodley: Firstly, there are too many timeouts late in games. Something needs to be done to prevent teams from littering the final two minutes with stoppage after stoppage. Next, Silver should eradicate hacking once and for all. The argument that it will teach kids that free throws aren’t important doesn’t hold much water – free throws are still an important facet of the game whether hacking exists or not. Lastly, the schedule needs to be more spread out. Cut into the pre-season, extended the Finals later into June, push back the draft – anything will do to ensure the season-long health of the game’s stars.

Which teams absolutely need to make a move before trade deadline that will help in the immediate and near future?

Strickland: It is almost impossible to imagine the Celtics, currently in third place in the East, tinkering with the chemistry and trust Brad Stevens has engineered with his young squad by bringing in the likes of a Dwight Howard or even one of Danny Ainge's most coveted players, Kevin Wesley Love, via a three-way trade with Cleveland, New York and Boston. These machinations are being considered and should one of these trades happen, the Celtic Renaissance could help to create a real and viable threat to the top of the Eastern Conference as well.

Woodley: Oklahoma City desperately needs a “3-and-D” wing added to its mix. Anthony Morrow is a great shooter, but can’t stop anybody. Andre Roberson’s defence is sturdy, but his jumper is funky and broken. Then there’s Dion Waiters – do you want to rely on him to start in a playoff series? A dependable wing would solidify a terrifying starting lineup, and provide Billy Donovan some added versatility, making it easier for him to run out smaller units with Kevin Durant at the four when matchups demand it.

What is your all-time favourite Kobe Bryant moment at the All-Star Game?

Strickland: Call it the Alpha and Omega: 1998's "I'm Here, World" performance vs. Michael Jordan told you Kobe Bean Bryant wasn't hypnotized with fear of the game's pre-eminent player. He was going after the crown, even in a so-called meaningless game of which he took home four MVP trophies. Fast forward to Michael Jordan's last All-Star game of his illustrious career in 2003 with Kobe now the possessor of his lone Three-peat and well-seasoned in the trade of the ol' boom bap: smack talk. Hard to separate those two games/moments because they revealed not only his most maniacal obsession with competition and the desire to be and beat the best, but the mutual admiration evident between both men. Kobe may be the last of his kind in the NBA we see for awhile.

Woodley: Kobe’s 1997 Dunk Contest performance was pretty spectacular, and it’s amazing to look back now and realize how much the show he put on last night set the stage for everything we were going to see from him throughout his career. When you look back at that contest, it’s impossible not to notice the confidence Kobe carried himself with as an 18-year-old. It’s a shame this year’s contest doesn’t feature an old man’s bracket featuring the likes of Kobe and Vince Carter one last time.  

As one of the 14 players nominated for the Naismith Memorial Hall Of Fame, will Allen Iverson be a first ballot entrant?

Strickland: Indeed. With no uniformly consistent criteria by which these players are chosen, Iverson's steadfast desire to always be and express himself not necessarily in line with the corporate entity could play a role, albeit erroneous, in whether he's selected on the first go. But Allen Ezail Iverson's influence can still be felt around the league today, be it from attitude and aesthetic style to his relentless, attacking play. Perhaps the best pound-for-pound player in league history, the 2001 MVP averaged 26.7 ppg and 6.2 apg at a listed 6' (he's not) and a "sturdy" 165 lbs has all of the bona fides and fame to get the call from the Hall this year.

Woodley: He absolutely should be. In the post-Jordan era where the NBA lacked a signature face, Iverson was one of the few names in the conversation. Sure, his style of play and off-court demeanor may have rubbed some people the wrong way, but that doesn’t take away from his brilliance. Considering his miniature size, it’s ludicrous that he was able to be so prolific for 10-plus years. When you factor in that he reached an NBA Finals with a supporting cast that probably had no business being there, Iverson’s resumé screams first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.

Sean Woodley (WoodleySean) can be found trying to convince the world that the Los Angeles Clippers are actually a really good team while Duane Watson (@DuaneWatson) and Will Strickland (@wallstrizzle1) will continue plying their trade in Advanced Hoop Sciences at a special All-Star Edition time of 4-6pm this Saturday on #1On1 with Will & Duane, only on TSN 1050 and TSN.ca.