The format of the All-Star Game will undergo some changes beginning this season, the NBA and the National Basketball Players’ Association announced today in a press release. Instead of the Eastern Conference All-Stars facing the Western Conference All-Stars, two captains will choose their respective squads from a pool of All-Star players.
Although the Eastern All-Stars will no longer face the Western All-Stars, the process for choosing All-Stars will remain the same, with 12 players from each conference earning that honor. Fans, players, and media will vote for 10 starters, with coaches choosing the 14 reserves.
Once the 24 All-Stars are chosen, the starter from each conference who received the most fan votes will be named the captain of his team. Last season, for instance, LeBron James and Stephen Curry would have been the captains, since they were the top vote-getters in their respective conferences. The rest of the All-Stars will enter a draft pool, with the two captains conducting a draft of sorts to pick their squads.
According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link), NBPA president Chris Paul called commissioner Adam Silver the day after the 2017 All-Star Game to suggest that changes were needed for the event. In addition to scrapping the conference-vs.-conference format, the league will also have each team pick a Los Angeles-based or national charity to play for.
“I’m thrilled with what the players and the league have done to improve the All-Star Game, which has been a priority for all of us,” Paul said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to putting on an entertaining show in L.A.”
The changes to the NBA’s midseason event should create some entertaining drama when it comes to picking the teams, and it will be fun to see All-Star teammates face one another. Given the talent disparity between the two conferences right now, the format should also allow for a more competitive game. Still, it’s somewhat disappointing that the NBA is sticking to 12 All-Stars per conference rather than going one step further and allowing the game to feature the top 24 players, regardless of conference.
This season’s All-Star Game is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 18 at the Staples Center.
This is BS. So much better by conference. The NFL tried this and it sucked so they switched back.
Selection doesn’t change and the game will probably be more competitive. I don’t see anything wrong with this
Sounds to me like it’s a backhanded way of admitting that the western conference has significantly more talent than the eastern conference
It’s true though especially this coming year. When someone from the East will be selected when they shouldn’t be a all star.. Then you have Damian Lillard, sitting at home watching… AGAIN… That is why. Dame, should be a all star over Otto Porter, for example.
Dumb. Didn’t work in the NFL, won’t work in the NBA.
Has worked in NHL. MLB needs to try it.
MLB can’t do it.. this is dumb.. so is the comment saying MLB should do it.
Yeah
Is any all star game actually worth watching?
Nope. The game itself is more for the players to have fun
Baseball and although the limited defense in basketball ASGs disappeared a couple of years ago, it’s still a good show usually
I think the politics of the draft might be better than the actual game.
Who cares. The NBA ASG is a joke anyways.
Every ASG is meant for one reason; Make the league’s more money when there aren’t any regular games scheduled.
Exactly bowserhound. Put 24 of the best players in the league on the court together at the same time and the league watches the money flow in.
I was hoping to see some kind of reward for the winners, so each side plays actually plays defense and try to win.
All star selection process is still garbage, and I’m not the biggest fan of the new element, assuming it goes certain ways…the idea of playing for charity is really good. We could also potentially see some fun teams, even though I don’t like the captains idea
Yeah so the problem with the all star game is the quality of play, which is the players’ fault. I don’t see how eliminating perhaps the one thing that gave fans any kind of allegiance in this (East vs West) is going to help the product put on the court. Also, I’m not sure about asking the players what is best for the fans
Can you imagine the chip on the shoulder of the guy picked last? Can you imagine Stephen Curry passing on Klay Thomson to pick Kawhi Leonard? The potential is there for a lot of entertainment. Pick up basketball has ALWAYS worked better than pick up football.
Top 24, then youngs vs olds. That might get an effort. Maybe divide them by college credit-hours passed.