NBA considering All-Star Game changes again, including getting away from the 'traditional' format

The NBA is considering changing nan format for nan All-Star Game that will beryllium played successful San Francisco later this season, Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday night.

Silver, speaking earlier nan Miami-Washington crippled successful Mexico City, has wanted a much competitory All-Star arena for immoderate time. The Eastern Conference hit nan Western Conference 211-186 past season, combining for nan astir points successful nan game’s 73-year history and marking nan first clip a squad eclipsed 200 points.

“We’re looking astatine different formats," Silver said without specifying what whitethorn change. "I deliberation there’s nary uncertainty that nan players were disappointed arsenic good successful past year’s All-Star Game. We each want to do a amended occupation providing title and intermezo for our fans.”

Silver added that nan convention is looking astatine making nan All-Star Game “not a accepted crippled format," but stopped short of saying what that could mean.

The convention has tinkered pinch nan All-Star look respective times successful caller years. Among nan attempts were scrapping nan longstanding East vs. West format for a draught picked by squad captains and going to an untimed 4th fourth pinch a target people to guarantee that nan crippled must extremity connected a made shot.

Last year's crippled went backmost to nan accepted format — 4 afloat 12-minute quarters, East vs. West. And it was thing but an violative showcase, pinch nan teams combining for 168 3-point attempts and astir 400 points.

“Obviously, it wasn’t precocious intensity, astatine all,” Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton said aft nan crippled successful Indianapolis, wherever 5 players scored astatine slightest 30 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 50 connected 35 shots disconnected nan bench.

Silver said pinch nan crippled being successful San Francisco, he's enlisted Golden State prima Stephen Curry to thief fig retired a measurement to make nan All-Star Game much competitory this season. Any changes would almost surely person to impact nan activity of nan National Basketball Players Association arsenic well.

“It's a location crippled for him,” Silver said, adding that he's had “direct conversations” pinch Curry connected nan topic. “I cognize he's very prideful and wants to make judge nan players put their champion ft forward.”

Curry said past twelvemonth that players had talked “a small bit” astir making nan All-Star Game much competitory successful immoderate ways. The convention has wanted that for immoderate time, hoping a amended All-Star title leads to amended tv ratings for nan crippled and much extracurricular interest.

“I deliberation everyone was disappointed successful what they saw past year,” Silver said. "It wasn't conscionable nan league. It was nan players arsenic well, nan players association. I deliberation we each did what we thought we could, reasoning peculiarly successful Indiana, benignant of nan heartland of basketball, we would spot a much competitory game.”

Silver besides pointed retired that cipher expects nan All-Star Game to person playoff-type intensity. He said convention executives Byron Spruell, Joe Dumars and Evan Wasch person formed a committee to talk to squad representatives and nan players relation to effort and find a solution.

“We want to do thing that will excite nan fans and besides excite nan players, truthful it's thing they'll beryllium enthusiastic astir playing in,” Silver said.

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