NBA hopes all-star format is a slam dunk
Debuting a new NBA All-Star Game format in which players will pick teams in an effort to energize the event, the league has unveiled the voting schedule for its 2018 showcase.
The NBA had previously announced the Eastern versus Western Conference format would be scrapped for the first time, replaced by captains choosing sides in the latest effort to generate more enthusiasm and perhaps competitiveness for the game.
The West has won six of the last seven games, scoring nearly 200 points in each of the last two. Following February’s 192-182 victory in New Orleans, players association president Chris Paul told commissioner Adam Silver something had to be done to fix the game and the league has responded with changes to the selection process.
The hope is the changes better balance the rosters after all-stars such as Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Jimmy Butler went from East to West over the summer and trigger buzz about who wants to play with what players.
The players from each conference with the highest total of fan votes will serve as the captains. They will then pick from the eight remaining starters first, then choose from the pool of players voted as reserves. It could lead to some intriguing scenarios — would LeBron James pick Kyrie Irving if he’s a captain? Would Russell Westbrook choose Kevin Durant?
Unfortunately, the captains’ selections will be conducted before the full rosters are unveiled during a TNT program on Jan. 25.
The league announced Thursday voting begins on the NBA website and app Dec. 21. Voting through all other formats starts on Dec. 25 before the annual five-game slate of Christmas Day games.
Continuing a policy instituted last season, players and media will join fans in the voting process. The fan vote accounts for 50 per cent, while players and a media panel each account for 25 per cent of the total on who will be present for the game at Staples Center in Los Angeles.