Feb 25, 2012; Orlando, FL, USA; Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs holds the trophy after winning the 2012 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge at the Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

All-Star Saturday Night will feature MVP hopeful and 2013 All-Star Game reserve Tony Parker once again. The 2012 Skills Challenge winner will attempt to defend his crown in Houston, Texas.

This year’s competition will be a tad different. The same course will be provided that won Parker the 2012 contest, but the NBA is approaching this year’s All-Star weekend will be all about East vs. West.

So as Parker will be looking to retain bragging rights for another season, the Western Conference is looking to best the Eastern Conference as a whole Saturday night.

Helping Parker in this effort will be Damian Lillard of Portland and Jeremy Lin of Houston. They will have to outmatch the East’s representation of Jrue Holiday of Philadelphia, Brandon Knight of Detroit, and Jeff Teague of Atlanta.

The Taco Bell Skills Challenge is the second event slated for Saturday Night, and is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. CST.

Parker will need to have another big performance, though he will not have to face the likes of past competitors such as Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, or Chris Paul.

In last season’s event, Tony Parker held the fastest time in the first round, but only less than two seconds separated Parker from Rajon Rondo. With new and younger competition, we will see in a week if TP’s experience on the Taco Bell Skills Challenge course will pay off or not.

– Jim Cavan attempts to use Muthu Alagappan’s analysis of arbitrary positions to find the solution for winning.

– Everything you know about basketball is wrong.

– Spatial analysis will blow your mind.

– Edg5 explains the “positional revolution” and how it applies to the Spurs.

– Can a coach be analytically cognizant and player-savvy, simultaneously?

– Tom Haberstroh finds many similarities between baseball and basketball which usually aren’t analogous with each other.

– Buck Harvey thinks Tim Duncan won’t have to deal with leaving a franchise he built like Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

– Ian Levy delves into the value of corresponding skill sets.

– Have you ever wondered who the fastest point guard is?

– Eddy Rivera explains why “playoff experience” is completely irrelevant in the playoffs.

– Bill Simmons comes out with his extensive NBA Trade Value column and defines Jeremy Lin’s trade value once and for all. As a fanatical basketball fan that loves the Trade Machine irrationally, this post is really fun to read.

– Here is Part 2 of his Trade Value column. Sadly, Richard Jefferson didn’t make the cut.

– Simmons hosted a gigantic and interesting BS Report segment with Eric Mangini, Daryl Morey, Mark Cuban, Bill James and Jeff Van Gundy.

– What will the life of an aging NBA superstar be like 10 years from now?

– Can sleep actually affect the performance of NBA players?

– In my article on Pounding the Rock, I examine whether Emeka Okafor would make a nice addition for the Spurs.

– Matthew Tynan from Pounding the Rock wonders if the Spurs will actually make a trade this year.

– Jared Wade offers the cure for tanking.

– Charlie Widdoes explains why “competitive teams” struggle in building legitimate title contenders.

– Do you remember the scrawny, fast-as-hell, no jumpshot Tony Parker? My has he changed dramatically.