What to Watch for

The G. Voit Report previews the weekend in sports. All times Eastern (ET).

Friday

7pm NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (ESPN)

Dallas Cowboys wideout Terrell Owens will try to claim his second consecutive MVP trophy after his 18 point showing in the 2008 game in New Orleans. Other notable stars in the event this year include NBA legends Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins, actor Chris Tucker, and Scrubs star Donald Faison.

7pm Old Spice High School Showcase: 

Lincoln H.S. (Brooklyn) vs. (4) St. Patrick's (NJ) (ESPN2)

High school hoops fans will get a glimpse of two East coast powerhouses when senior phenom Lance Stephenson and the Lincoln Railsplitters take on North Carolina recruit Dexter Strickland and a hot St. Patrick team at Fordham University.

Who's hot: Junior point guard Kyrie Irving scored 21 for the Celtics in their 88-62 blowout win over then No. 2 St. Benedict's (NJ) on Feb. 4. 

In need of a win: No. 2 Lincoln picked up the Brooklyn AA title with wins over No. 6 Boys and Girls and No. 8 Jefferson (NY Daily News state rankings), but has dropped eight games this season playing on the national circuit.

9pm T-Mobile Rookie Challenge (TNT)

Derrick Rose and O.J. Mayo headline a Rookie squad looking to break the Sophomores' six-game win streak. Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson took home MVP honors last season after shooting 11-20 from behind the arc on his way to 33 points.

Saturday

4pm (25) Florida State at (8) Wake Forest (ESPN360)

Upstart Florida State squad led by sweet-shooting senior Toney Douglas will try to take advantage of struggling Wake Forest who has lost three of four. X-factor will be Wake point guard Jeff Teague, who leads the team in both points (20.4) and turnovers (3.4). Free throws hurt the Demon Deacons in their loss to NC State in Raleigh, where they managed only 56.3% and 15 fewer attempts than the Wolfpack.

7pm NBA All-Star Saturday Night (TNT)

-Haier Shooting Stars

-Playstation Skills Challenge

-Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout

-Sprite Slam Dunk

Picks to click:

Shooting Stars- Team Phoenix: Leandro Barbosa, Dan Majerle, and Tangela Smith

Skills Challenge- Tony Parker (SA) squeaks by Derrick Rose (CHI)

Three-Point Shootout- Roger Mason (SA) upends 6'10'' Rashard Lewis (ORL)

Slam Dunk- Dwight Howard (ORL) fends off upset-minded Nate Robinson (NY) to claim second straight title 

Sunday

12:30pm Philadelphia Flyers at NY Rangers (NBC)

Two crucial Atlantic Division points are on the line in this Game of the Week matchup between rivals locked at 65 points apiece. A win is a must to keep pace with a red hot Devils team that has won 11 of 13 games. The Rangers have had little to cheer about offensively this season but have the advantage with Henrik Lundqvist in the net taking on the Flyers' shaky tandem of Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki.

5:30pm Duke (5) at Boston College

Kyle Singler and Duke will look to take their frustration out on the Eagles after a 14-point loss at home to North Carolina. The Eagles come into the game sitting at 6-5 in the ACC and hope to stay in tournament contention with the upset. Key to the upset: Senior guard Tyrese Rice needs to keep North Carolina counterpart Ty Lawson from getting into the open court or it could be off to the races for the Tar Heels.

8pm NBA All-Star Game (TNT)

The East will make a push for its fourth All-Star win in five years with a young roster that includes first-time participants Danny Granger (IND), Jameer Nelson, (ORL), Mo Williams (CLE), and Devin Harris (NJ). Story line to follow: Lebron and Kobe will square off for the second time in a week. Bryant will particularly be one to watch given his limited participation in last year's event due to ligament damage and a fracture in his right pinky. 

Stoudemire the antidote to Bulls' woes

Bulls GM John Paxson has one stone and two birds to kill. The sixth year front man is on the verge of being thrust into the proverbial hot seat after a series of questionable personnel decisions, but can save both the roster and his job with one simple move.

With a talented yet undersized core, the Bulls remain one low post scoring threat from ascending to their 2006-2007 form and beyond. Lucky for Paxson, the bird of a lifetime is circling the Berto Center just waiting to be plucked from the sky.

Earth to Pax: land the big man.

Bulls fans need no reminder of the team's low post futility. The center has eluded the franchise much like the quarterback has eluded the Bears and the ring has eluded the Cubs. It's not for a lack of trying, seeing as big men have graced the United Center floor in droves, only to have their flaws exposed with every failed post move. Fine, but that's all in the past. Two decades of nonperformance can be erased in one move, and that move is to get Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire.

Stoudemire is everything the Bulls lack and more. Star power. Explosiveness. And last but not least, scoring in the paint. He has asserted himself as one of the elite power forwards in the game and has Father Time on his side. The deal seems too good to be true, but that shouldn't stop Paxson from throwing every roster member that isn't named Derrick into trade talks with Suns GM and former Bulls teammate Steve Kerr. It's not as if the Bulls couldn't present an attractive offer, the only question is whether or not they can offer a package more attractive than the other potential players in the deal. At this point, Kerr could be looking at a deal with anyone from the Pistons to the Thunder, though the organization has yet to publicly acknowledge any front runners.

Whatever team Stoudemire ends up going to, assuming the deal does in fact get done, they will have to offer upwards of $10 million in expiring contracts, a rising star, and any number of draft picks. With a payroll of $75 million and an underperforming roster, the Suns management is looking to lower the team's expenses by tens of millions while receiving a potential star in return.

The Bulls have the young pieces to move in the form of Thabo Sefolosha and Tyrus Thomas, and have the expiring contract of Drew Gooden to dangle, but the big question could be whether or not the Bulls can offer enough in expiring contrats. Gooden, who has averaged close to a double-double in 31 injury-plagued games this season, would give the Suns a $7 million contract to dump at the end of the season, but other teams could potentially offer more in that regard. However, what the Bulls lack in quality they make up for in quantity, with six players averaging double figures in scoring, and all but one on the table.

One popular rumor that has surfaced is a deal with the Pistons, who would presumably offer Rasheed Wallace and his $14 million expiring contract. Stoudemire would likely welcome a trade to the Motor City and expressed his interest in the prospect of playing there in an interview with WXYZ-Detroit's Don Shane.

Aside from the familiarity between the two GMs, one potential boon to the Bulls' chances could be head coach Vinny Del Negro's ties with his old employer. Del Negro gives the Bulls a unique perspective on Stoudemire, and unless he was for some reason turned off by Stoudemire in their overlapping time in Phoenix, then it figures to be an advantage come negotiation time.

Whatever happens in the days leading up to the February 19 trade deadline, one thing is for sure: if John Paxson wants to put all questions to rest concerning his job security, he will do whatever is in his power to land Stoudemire.