The NBA will once again look to give the All-Star Game a refresh in an effort to create a more competitive and entertaining game, with the new idea from the league being to turn the All-Star Game into a mini-tournament. Rather than a 48-minute regulation game, the league will play three short-burst games to 40 (two semifinals and then a final) with three teams of 8 All-Stars and the winners of Friday’s Rising Stars Challenge.
After scuttling the format where player captains drafted teams — which fans enjoyed and created some funny moments, but the players seemed to not be a huge fan of — the three teams will be drafted by the Inside the NBA crew, with Shaq, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith each having a team — the winning Rising Stars team will be led by GM Candace Parker for the All-Star Game. If nothing else, the All-Star draft featuring those three should be entertaining to watch — and will take place on February 6.
As for whether the new format creates a more competitive atmosphere, I’m cautiously optimistic that it will at least feel more competitive, largely because there won’t be as much time for guys to fill with chucking threes and ignoring defense before they get close to the 40-point target score. That said, I’m not expecting guys to suddenly play their absolute hardest, but I do think it will be a more enjoyable format than a full game where the players just want to create a highlight or two and then not get injured, simply by being shorter.
