A yr after arguably the worst All-Star game in NBA historical past, the league is about to make wholesale adjustments to make the annual exhibition affair extra aggressive.
Final week, a report suggested that the All-Star Recreation will probably be transformed right into a event format between 4 separate groups of eight gamers every, the final of which is able to function the winner of the Rising Stars Recreation. Now, extra particulars have emerged.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on the principles for the brand new four-team event that will probably be held in San Francisco on Feb. 16, 2025.
- Two semifinals will probably be performed, pitting Workforce 1 towards 3 and Workforce 2 versus Workforce 4. The primary two groups to succeed in 40 factors will advance.
- The finals will probably be performed as much as 25 factors.
- All three video games will probably be held on All-Star Sunday.
- As is custom, the fourth staff, that includes solely rookies or sophomores, will play the Rising Stars Recreation on All-Star Saturday to advance to the tourney.
The Athletic offered extra particulars, particularly on the teaching entrance.
“With regards to who coaches the 4 groups, quite a few league officers agree the coach of the highest staff in every respective convention will direct two of the 4 All-Star groups. In keeping with two staff officers with direct data of league discussions so far, staffs from the highest two groups in every convention may very well be concerned on All-Star Sunday, however different league sources mentioned that possibility had not been mentioned with all stakeholders.”
There’s uncertainty over the choice course of for the 16 All-Stars among the many three senior groups, particularly for the reason that NBA will probably be casting off the East versus West idea. One would assume the 16 gamers receiving essentially the most votes (by way of followers, gamers and coaches) will make the rosters and get break up into three squads. As for the opponents for the Rising Stars Recreation, the league workplace usually picks the perfect rookies and sophomores and pits them towards one another in two separate groups. That course of is prone to be retained.
Whereas the event format is a first-of-a-kind initiative, the NBA tried out the pickup-style factors system on the 2020 All-Star Recreation when the scores were reset to 0-0 initially of the fourth quarter. The primary staff to succeed in 24 factors within the fourth prevailed. Moreover, through the 2022 Rising Stars Problem, 4 eight-man squads performed a semifinal and a ultimate, with the primary staff to succeed in 40 and 50 factors, respectively, successful the video games.
Sure, it is all too sophisticated. Will it work? Who is aware of? This author feels a easy Workforce USA versus Remainder of the World idea would have been a greater answer to make the sport extra aggressive, particularly within the aftermath of the Paris Olympics. Nonetheless, the NBA deserves credit score for not less than tweaking the format after final yr’s catastrophe.
