No more East vs. West in the All-Star Game

Captains will now pick teams in NBA's revamped All-Star Game format

The NBA announced changes to the All-Star Game that will scrap the traditional East vs. West format in favor of two captains who will select their teams from a pool of players selected to participate.

Twelve players from each conference will continue to take part in the game, but the player from each conference with the most fan votes will choose their teams from the remaining 22 players, regardless of whether they’re in the East or West. More details on the draft process are still to come, but fans, media and players will continue to vote for the 10 starters, and coaches will still pick the 14 reserves.

I'm not really a fan of the idea. When it comes to things like this, I'm in favour of preserving tradition and having a set structure, which the conferences provide. It gets worse, though...

Silver also suggested that the league would consider “crazy ideas,” including a half-court shot worth 10 points, even encouraging fans to email concepts to him. It is unclear if further changes are in order.

No, no, no. A thousand times no. The game does not need "crazy ideas". It never needed "crazy ideas". The All-Star Game used to be a fun exhibition of the NBA's best players (give or take a selection or snub here and there) that had great competitive spirit and an entertaining pick-up game atmosphere. Now it's a glorified layup line and impromptu three-point contest. Considering half the problem has been players racing the ball up court and tossing up 40 foot threes within five seconds, I don't see how adding a 10-point half-court shot is going to fix that.

It really seems Silver is determined to put his stamp on the league by making all these changes, supposedly in the name of progress and innovation. However, a lot of them strike me as being changes for the sake of change, or changes that don't really address the root of the problem. Silver is basically going the Microsoft route with the NBA: changing things for the sake of it, "fixing" things that don't need to be fixed, and ignoring actual issues that do need to be addressed. I miss David Stern, and I didn't think I'd ever say that by the end of his tenure.

So it'll be like the nhl school yard pick game.

It would be funny if they turned it into MTV's rock and jock with celebrities and 25 point baskets lol. I will have to email Adam silver

Why do you hate me so, Q?

Considering half the problem has been players racing the ball up court and tossing up 40 foot threes within five seconds, I don't see how adding a 10-point half-court shot is going to fix that.

I suspect he's seeing the way it's going and rolling with it, rather than trying to 'fix' anything.

Adam Silver should give a randomly selected fan the opportunity to wrestle a bear during halftime just to complete his format change for more entertainment.



Can't wait for LeBron James to be petty and not pick Kyrie Irving.

Considering half the problem has been players racing the ball up court and tossing up 40 foot threes within five seconds, I don't see how adding a 10-point half-court shot is going to fix that.

I suspect he's seeing the way it's going and rolling with it, rather than trying to 'fix' anything.

His prerogative, I suppose. It's odd though, considering he has spoken out in favour of making the game more competitive again. Yet, he's proposing ideas that would actually encourage players to bomb away from halfcourt even more than they do now. To me, "crazy ideas" sound counterproductive to the initiative.

It's kind of like the overuse of gimmicks in the dunk contest. At first, they freshened it up, but they quickly made it stale.

Well I stopped watching the allstar game back in 06 so I think this trend will continue.

Can't wait for LeBron James to be petty and not pick Kyrie Irving.

"And for the starting point guard position LeBron James picks.... MARIO CHALMERS!"

Andrew,
aside from the all star game, what else has Silver done that's so bad?

Personally, i don't think the all star game can be saved. i'm with the camp of just not caring/watching the game

Every league seems to struggle with the meaningless game, but I don't mind the overhaul since being all star MVP or winning the game doesn't mean much nowadays

A few years ago this might have bothered me, but I don't really care at this point. The only part aspect of the all-star game I enjoy is seeing who makes it.

I suppose that is my problem, at the end of the day. I still care because the game used to mean something and was very entertaining. I suppose I should just let it go and stop caring, but easier said than done. Part and parcel of being a fanatic, after all.

If the players don't care, the format doesn't really matter. The game will suck. The last ASG was an awful display of disrespect towards both the fans and the legends who played their hearts out on all star weekend. And they still had fun. I just watched some footage from '89, '93, '97 and '01. Man, those were competitive, exciting games. When T-Mac blocked Kobe's shot right at the beginning of the game, you just knew it was on. The east team's comeback was nothing short of spectacular.

When I watch plays from this year, I get furious. If want to see a bunch of guys jog up and down the court and fire up one three after another, I'll go to the playground. This is not the game I love. Where's the pride? Where's the competitive spirit? Where's the challenge? Whoever has the better 3pt% wins? Fuck this.

Edit: there was one play that entertained me, though. When Steph just lay down on D, that could have been a classic ASG moment. There's just no chance he can stop Giannis anyway. If the game had been competitive, that would've been hilarious. But as it was, it just enraged people because it was a visual representation of what we had seen all game long up to that point. People felt mocked and cheated.

I agree wholeheartedly. As has been repeatedly pointed out to me though, those days seem to be gone, so maybe it is for the best if we find a way to stop caring and to skip it.

If Adam Silver is open to suggestions here's mine, a blocked dunk/layup attempt is worth 2 points to the defensive team.

Ah, now we're talking. For every good defensive play or tallied statistic, it's money out of the other player's share, added to yours.

In an era where players are resting in regular-season games you're never going to get back to the All-Star games of years past.

Hmm...

• Shots as usual - 1pt, 2pt, 3pt
• Block - 2pt
• Steal - 1pt
• Dunk or layup - 1 extra point
• Assist - For every assist the NBA would... assist some charity in form of donation. Like $5000 per assist.

Assists are easy to come by in the allstar game because everyone gets a clear path to the basket, if they weren't shooting so many 3's that is

this is fucking stupid. i wish the league would just do away with all star weekend. i guess the only good thing i can say about this change is that it will not affect me at all as i already have stopped watching this stupid ass game. please though when players get elected into the hall of fame stop using their all star selections as a barometer of their greatness

please though when players get elected into the hall of fame stop using their all star selections as a barometer of their greatness

Sadly it's come to that, I agree.

If the players don't care, the format doesn't really matter. The game will suck. The last ASG was an awful display of disrespect towards both the fans and the legends who played their hearts out on all star weekend. And they still had fun. I just watched some footage from '89, '93, '97 and '01. Man, those were competitive, exciting games. When T-Mac blocked Kobe's shot right at the beginning of the game, you just knew it was on. The east team's comeback was nothing short of spectacular.

When I watch plays from this year, I get furious. If want to see a bunch of guys jog up and down the court and fire up one three after another, I'll go to the playground. This is not the game I love. Where's the pride? Where's the competitive spirit? Where's the challenge? Whoever has the better 3pt% wins? Fuck this.

Edit: there was one play that entertained me, though. When Steph just lay down on D, that could have been a classic ASG moment. There's just no chance he can stop Giannis anyway. If the game had been competitive, that would've been hilarious. But as it was, it just enraged people because it was a visual representation of what we had seen all game long up to that point. People felt mocked and cheated.

Right on, especially the first paragraph. I go back to the 70s when Kareem and Dr. J would go at each other. It was fun, but competitive. I hardly watch them anymore.

10 point shot? Oh hell no............

Assists are easy to come by in the allstar game because everyone gets a clear path to the basket, if they weren't shooting so many 3's that is

Exactly. Just let them rack up 100 assists in the game and then donate extra half a million of USD to charities.

Lol I got a thank you response from the league for my suggestions this morning