New Coke New All-Star Game — with its player draft and target score — didn’t work the way the NBA hoped, so starting this February the NBA is returning to All-Star Game classic.
As previously hinted, the NBA is returning to an East vs. West All-Star Game with four quarters rather than a target score. The league made it official with a press release Friday. The only thing that stays is that each team is playing for a charity and the winner of each quarter will get money for that cause.
Voting will not change either. Fans (50%), media and players (25% each) will vote toward the five starters from each conference, while the coaches from each conference will pick the seven reserves. Just now there will be no draft at the game.
The goal of all the changes to the All-Star Game, and the reverting to the norm, is to light a fire under what has become a dud of a game. All-Star Weekend can still energize a city and bring in plenty of tourist money, and the All-Star Saturday night is still must-watch (the 3-Point Contest is the highlight), but the big game itself on Sunday has fallen flat in most recent years. Players’ primary goal in that game is to avoid injury and not put much strain on their bodies, which means they are not going to go all out on defense. The result is an uninspiring game, regardless of format. There is no simple fix to that issue.
This year’s All-Star Game is set for Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Pacers. The All-Star Game and all the weekend festivities will be broadcast on TNT.
