All-Star Weekend 2015

[Andrew]

Caught the Rising Stars game yesterday, and I thought it was pretty good.

There was the usual showmanship and playground style of up-and-down freelance basketball, but also a respectable amount of defense and competitiveness. I was sceptical about the whole Team USA vs. The World format change, but it felt fresh and I think it worked. I'd say it's definitely worth trying again in the future, perhaps even as a separate event with some bigger names (perhaps All-Star snubs and players who are a tier below All-Star level).

Rudy Gobert really impressed me, I felt he probably should've been the game's MVP. Gotta love that punny nickname, too: The Stifle Tower. It seems appropriate, he had some impressive blocks and filled the paint quite nicely.

Looking forward to All-Saturday night, really hoping the old school format for the dunk contest pays off.

[shadowgrin]

https://twitter.com/nbaontnt/status/566771795274248192

Like the new head to head format of the skills challenge.
All participants finally give a shit.
Should be the same format next season.

Fuck the all-star game really, the three-point contest is the event to watch out for.
Of course hoping that the dunk contest proves me wrong.

[Andrew]

I have mixed feelings about the new format for the Skills Challenge. It's not terrible, but I'm not sure I prefer it. So close on my Brandon Knight prediction, though...just couldn't knock down that final three before Beverley.

We have a new record in the Three-Point Shootout, with Curry's 27. I feel it's a bit artificial though, as the rack of money balls inflated everyone's scores. That's 27/34 as opposed to the old record of 25/30, a slightly lower percentage and a better opportunity to beat the old record with more points up for grabs. Still a great shooting display, but it feels like they're trying to make it easier to beat the old records, which in turns make the new marks feel a bit manufactured.

Plumlee and The Greek Freak were disappointments in the Dunk Contest, but Oladipo and LaVine saved it, and put on a show...especially LaVine. I kind of would've liked to have seen a bit more variation as he went between the legs three times, but they were all spectacular, and his two dunks in the first round were awesome. Not a Top 5 or Top 10 contest, but the best in a while, I feel. The traditional format helped, and there were some really great slams. Pretty sure Oladipo's "540" was actually a 360 where he ended up on the other side of the rim, somewhat giving the illusion of a 540, but still a great dunk either way.

[shadowgrin]

Adjusted for 'old balls' without the money rack, 24 in the final for Curry is still pretty damn good since he only missed the first ball in his last (money) rack.

[NovU]

Lavine's been a ferocious slasher since his college days and I'm not surprised to see him take it. Great dunks indeed. One thing I'd like to see from this rookie is to develop his ISO game though which is awful.

As for 3pt contest, wow, this seemingly is going to be a Curry's year. At this pace, he'll win the league MVP as well. One of the best shooters in history and he's on a pace to win the MVP. Insanity.

But I was somewhat expecting Korver to do better in this contest. How has he not yet done much damage in this contest for his career. Does it have something to do with him being more of a great catch & shoot shooter than off-the-dribble guy?

[Phil89]

Why did LaVine bother with the Space Jam setup if he wasn't going to dunk from half court?

[Moz]

I'm with Andrew regarding the Skillls Challenge... There are times players are incompetently waiting for the other to take their shot so that they will not shoot at the same time on that 3 point shooting part...Should've made the competitors do it on opposite courts... Lavine's first 2 dunks set the standard so high that I felt underwhelmed in his final 2... He should've reserved the behind the back one (and did the Wiggins-assisted between the legs instead as his second) since he's already a shoe-in in the finals... Nonetheless, Lavine at least leveled the Dunk Contest to the event prior which lived up to its hype (aside Kyle Korver of course)...

[[Q]]

Very impressed by lavine and oladipo. Hopefully they build in this next year and get better competition for Zach.

Super competitive and exciting 3 point contest too. Maybe next year a lot of the guys will come back or others will step their game up. Lillard maybe?

[Andrew]

Adjusted for 'old balls' without the money rack, 24 in the final for Curry is still pretty damn good since he only missed the first ball in his last (money) rack.

Fair point. It's still definitely an impressive performance, but to me, topping the old mark with the aid of the rack full of money balls feels a bit cheap, a bit anti-climactic.

Granted, it's nitpicky and something of a "grumpy old man" argument, similar to the whole "modern players' statistical feats are less impressive because the rules have been changed to make things easier", "pre-three-point era scoring records are more impressive because players didn't have a three-point shot to get extra points", or "that statistical feat doesn't count because it came in overtime" types of claims. The format has changed, and Stephen Curry tallied the mark fair and square, as per the current rules of the contest. But it still feels like something that should be noted when making a comparison to the old marks.

I'm with Andrew regarding the Skillls Challenge... There are times players are incompetently waiting for the other to take their shot so that they will not shoot at the same time on that 3 point shooting part...Should've made the competitors do it on opposite courts...

I will say that it makes sense for contestants to go two at a time, given the field of eight and the bracket format they've adopted. I think they should've been going the opposite way though, so that they were less likely to be shooting at the same basket at the same time. I don't think it's terrible, but I wouldn't call it better. As I said, I'm not sure that I'd say that I prefer it.

[Moz]

I think they should've been going the opposite way though, so that they were less likely to be shooting at the same basket at the same time.

That's what I'm trying to convey when I said "do it on opposite courts"... Anyway, it only happened a couple of times but doing it that way will be more appropriate with their current format...

[Andrew]

I figured as much. The revised course is fine, the bracket format and head-to-head match-ups are logical enough, but shooting at the same basket made it a bit awkward.

[air gordon]

I like the knockout style for the skills challenge. Adds more excitement to it. It's a race to the finish. Rather anticlimactic if the competitors are going in opposite directions.

Annoying to hear commentary before a dunk is even completed. I don't care if it's a nice toss or not. Hearing your voice ruins the anticipation of what's going to happen.

[[Q]]

who wants Kenny Smith's annoying new York accent in their ear before attempting a difficult dunk in front of everyone?

Although I think it does help after a miss when he gives them a bit of encouragement

[Stress Fracture]

Jerseys of the Rising Stars game were pretty dope.

[Andrew]

A combined 39 three-point attempts in the first quarter, including some really ugly ones. I enjoy hot three-point shooting as much as the next person, but if they're just going to stand around the perimeter and bomb away from beyond the arc all night, they might as well cancel the All-Star Game and just make a huge league-wide three-point shootout.

[Stress Fracture]

Dirk with the alley oop finish!!

Noticed that timeouts are relatively longer than normal. Has it been like that in past games?

[shadowgrin]

[Andrew]

Now a combined 36/102 from downtown, which is insane. I'm just not feeling this All-Star Game...I know that defense has become less and less important over the years, it's an exhibition, and all that. But this has basically just been inbound the ball, run up, toss up a three from 30 feet, then repeat, play after play. It's tied at 122 going into the fourth, but it doesn't feel competitive or exciting.

[air gordon]

So how do you propose to make it more competitive and exciting? The all star game is what it is. There weren't many headlines heading into this one. The host city's player was hurt. Maybe next year it will be different. May be a farewell tour for someone like dirk or kbryant

[Andrew]

I understand what the All-Star Game is, but I've never seen an All-Star Game quite like this year's. I don't think they need to change anything; some years, it just goes better than others. For whatever reason, it seemed like everyone wanted to just run up and fire up threes all game long, which I personally found boring after a while. I usually do enjoy the All-Star Game, but to me, this year's felt like a sloppy and boring brand of basketball, despite the high scoring.

[[Q]]

I liked that "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" countdown before the shooters at the 3 point contest. Takes me back to nba live 98's 3 point contest (in New York) playing with guys like Glen Rice, Steve Kerr, and Reggie Miller

[Andrew]

I was thinking the same thing; all that was missing was the tone lowering along with the countdown. Kind of a strange choice of music during the shootout too, but then, I don't think they've ever been able to do better than the James Bond theme during the 2000 contest. That was awesome.

[Jackal]

I loved this years SDC & 3 point contest. Watching Curry light it up was like watching a video game and Zach Lavine's dunks looked so effortless. Don't usually actually clap during the SDC but that first dunk had me clapping just because I was expecting something plain. He exceeded my expectations as a whole which is what made it all the more fun to watch. I hadn't seen much of him except for him lighting up LA in his first game so when he pulled that dunk off and the nostalgia of Space Jam just made me all giddy.

Wasn't that impressed by Oladipo. I've come to the conclusion I don't really like him but I have no idea why.

[Kevin]

Lavine and Oladipo just brought back the Dunk Contest, if you ask me

[Andrew]

They did their part. The traditional format helped, too.