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The NBA announced a big change on Tuesday that will attempt to bring some life and competitiveness back to the All-Star Game.
According to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, the NBA will eliminate conference designations for the actual All-Star Game and have two captains, the leading vote-getters from each conference, pick their teams.
Last season, Stephen Curry and LeBron James were the top vote-getters in each conference.
Voting will still be conference-based until the results are in, then the top vote-getters from each conference will pick from the pool of players.
In addition, players voted in as starters by the fans, players, and media, will be the first players chosen by the captains so that they are guaranteed to start the game.
Chris Paul, the president of the NBPA, said on Tuesday: “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. We’re looking forward to putting on an entertaining show in L.A.”
The change is aimed at bringing some entertainment back to the game after the past two seasons saw the winner of the game score over 190 points. As Zillgitt notes, the game does not have to be played with the competitiveness of a Finals game, but in recent years, the exhibition had become listless, with little defense or energy.
The voting should be as fun as the game itself. Would LeBron James, for instance, pick Kyrie Irving or Stephen Curry as his point guard, or vice versa? Would Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook choose the other for their teams? Now, at the very least, there will be some real intrigue as to how the teams are formed and what unfolds on the court.
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