2020 All-Star Game

I know it's about a month away, but I feel like we've seen enough to know who is in the mix to be an all-star this season.

I think one new pick will be Ingram in the west, as he has been one of the best players all season long. He might get snubbed like most deserving players in their first year. Is Luka a guard? If so I'd say he and Harden are in the back court with LeBron, AD, and KAT.

In the east I'd say Kyrie and Kemba with Giannis, Embiid, and another newcomer in Siakam.

Assuming they decide Luka is a guard, I see the all-stars shaking out like this:

West
Starters: Harden, Doncic, LeBron, Kawhi, Anthony Davis
Reserves: Lillard, Chris Paul, Paul George, Towns, Jokic, Westbrook, Mitchell
Alternates: Booker, Ingram, Aldridge

East
Starters: Kemba, Lowry, Butler, Giannis, Embiid
Reserves: Simmons, Beal, Jayson Tatum, Siakam, Sabonis, Drummond, Jaylen Brown
Alternates: Middleton, Trae Young, Dinwiddie

First round of voting is in, and Trae Young and Siakam are in as of now. So is Kawhi.

Alex Caruso is 8th on the list for guards. He should be higher!!

SMH Melo has more votes than Ingram, but yes this is a popularity contest after all

Tacko getting a bunch of votes as well. I'm not a fan of the league diluting the fan vote, but meme players in the starting five probably was inevitable barring the league meddling with the results

They already started cancelling fan vote unofficially back when Yi Jianlian was playing. The Chinese would've voted him as a starter.

Didn't Zaza almost get voted in recently?

Changes to the All Star Game format:

The NBA announced major changes to the All-Star format on Thursday, turning every quarter into a mini-game for charity before an untimed final quarter with a target score that will decide which team wins. Scores will be reset — back to 0-0 — at the start of the second and third quarters, then restored to begin the fourth quarter.

That’s where the tribute to Bryant and the No. 24 jersey he wore for the last decade of his NBA career comes into play. The team that wins the All-Star Game will be the first to reach a target score, determined by the total points the team in the lead scored in the first three quarters combined — plus 24, the obvious nod to Bryant.

I think that's me officially done with the All-Star Game. I like that they're paying tribute to Kobe and are giving to charity, but I think a more apt tribute would be to go out there and have a competitive game, like the ones he used to play in. All these changes have ruined what was once a great exhibition of basketball.

I didn't even bother to vote this year. As I said, it was once a great exhibition of basketball, and growing up, it meant something. That's how it was presented, that's how the players treated it, and so that's how we fans treated it. Those games were great to watch. It hasn't been worth watching in years now, even with all the efforts to inject competitiveness back into it. As shown by the joke/meme/troll votes, as well as gimmicks like days where votes count for double, it's no longer treated with the same gravitas. I can't blame younger fans for feeling the way they do about the game, because they've been taught a different attitude towards it than what I was. Unfortunate for me, but such is life. Things change, after all.

Again, it's great that they're paying tribute to Kobe, but yeah, I've honestly lost all interest in an event that I really used to look forward to. I'll leave it for those who like the current tone and new format. It's not for me, but I am just one person at the end of the day.

Wow, with players like Adebayo, Sabonis or Tatum getting nods, and Carmelo out, or Wade, Nowitzki, Kobe not around, I think I'm finally starting to realize that the NBA I grew up loving is changing. A lot.

It is cool to see the deserving first timers especially Ingram make it. Bam and Sabonis as well.

I'm actually kind of excited for the dunk contest. Aaron Gordon was part of what might be the best contest ever, and his last showing was disappointing due to injury. Jones is a high flyer and Dwight seems motivated, especially since he was trying to convince Kobe to help him in the contest.

Wow, with players like Adebayo, Sabonis or Tatum getting nods, and Carmelo out, or Wade, Nowitzki, Kobe not around, I think I'm finally starting to realize that the NBA I grew up loving is changing. A lot.

Bro...NBA we grew up is not here anymore, its not here since few years tbh. I call it NBA crutch.

It is cool to see the deserving first timers especially Ingram make it. Bam and Sabonis as well.

I'm actually kind of excited for the dunk contest. Aaron Gordon was part of what might be the best contest ever, and his last showing was disappointing due to injury. Jones is a high flyer and Dwight seems motivated, especially since he was trying to convince Kobe to help him in the contest.

Gordon would be my pick to win. Howard entering again is a surprise.

8 reserves for each team would do much better. Considering we have 1 big snub for each conference (Booker for West and Beal for East), it would be a better fit.

8 reserves for each team would do much better. Considering we have 1 big snub for each conference (Booker for West and Beal for East), it would be a better fit.

That would also make sense because the NBA active rosters have been expanded to 13

2 deep 3 points shots for 3 points each added to the contest, which now has 27 shots total for a possible 40 points. So many guys like Trae and Lillard are hitting this with ease now.

The list of competitors for the 3-point contest this season includes Portland’s Damian Lillard, Sacramento’s Buddy Hield, Washington’s Davis Bertans, Charlotte’s Devonte’ Graham, Miami’s Duncan Robinson, Atlanta’s Trae Young, Chicago’s Zach LaVine and Brooklyn’s Joe Harris.

Would have rather seen Lavine rematch with Aaron Gordon in the dunk contest but I think he wants to try something new

They can't even leave the format of the All-Star Saturday events alone.

Grumpy old man gripes aside, it'd be cool to see LaVine win the shootout and become the first player to win both it and the dunk contest. I agree that it would've been awesome to see a rematch with Gordon, though.

I like how the teams wound up almost a completely east vs west game again lol

I was disappointed LeBron didn't pick former teammate Ingram

Makes you think that that part of the format was never the problem. It's become a bit convoluted all around, especially since the voting is still East vs. West.

Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson were the "legends" for the celebrity game.

I mean, Ronnie 2K was a "celebrity", so...

I think that's me officially done with the All-Star Game. I like that they're paying tribute to Kobe and are giving to charity, but I think a more apt tribute would be to go out there and have a competitive game, like the ones he used to play in. All these changes have ruined what was once a great exhibition of basketball.

I didn't even bother to vote this year. As I said, it was once a great exhibition of basketball, and growing up, it meant something. That's how it was presented, that's how the players treated it, and so that's how we fans treated it. Those games were great to watch. It hasn't been worth watching in years now, even with all the efforts to inject competitiveness back into it. As shown by the joke/meme/troll votes, as well as gimmicks like days where votes count for double, it's no longer treated with the same gravitas. I can't blame younger fans for feeling the way they do about the game, because they've been taught a different attitude towards it than what I was. Unfortunate for me, but such is life. Things change, after all.

Again, it's great that they're paying tribute to Kobe, but yeah, I've honestly lost all interest in an event that I really used to look forward to. I'll leave it for those who like the current tone and new format. It's not for me, but I am just one person at the end of the day.

This old man is right there with you, Andrew. I've been done with AS weekend for several years. Too gimmicky. Don't even get me started on what the dunk contest has turned into.

I was watching the 1998 AS game on NBA TV - that's what I'm talking about. Fun, but competitive.

The style of the real league is becoming less compelling for me to watch so ASW isn't even on my radar anymore. You can truly only do so much with the dunk contest, though I've always had a fondness for the Skills Challenge; even though it's more exciting now, I almost preferred when it was one person running the course.

I truly think this year's dunk contest will be pretty good, not as good as if zach Lavine were in to battle Gordon but I have a feeling Gordon's pulling out some never before seen in a contest YouTube style stuff

I truly think this year's dunk contest will be pretty good, not as good as if zach Lavine were in to battle Gordon but I have a feeling Gordon's pulling out some never before seen in a contest YouTube style stuff

Well he did, and look at the results. A lot of people are arguing for co-winners between he and Jones Jr, but I would've just flat-out given it to Gordon... how tf do you jump over a 7'5" guy and get three 9s.

Gordon shoulda won it but Wade made sure Heat player take it home. All is well in the NBA land.

That was an intense fourth quarter lol even had a coach's challenge