IMO the NBA ASG has hit rock bottom

[suckfish]

It's never good, although a couple of the more recent games prior to this years I thought the effort seemed to be better. The target score ending versions helped spiced it up.

I think holding the weekend in attractive cities helps. San Francisco has it next year and the year after the Clippers have it in their new arena.

I think if there was a way to have one in Paris or London with an USA vs International wrinkle then it could bring enough excitement to encourage effort.

The dunk contest should just be shelved for a decade or something. Invent some new skill based contests to fill the gap.

[suckfish]

I also think while the league is in a great place talent and skill wise, it's the style it is played/officiated/enforced that is quite concerning to me. We can moan about the lackluster all star weekend efforts but we all I think have the same to a lesser degree concerns about the regular season efforts.

To me it's a combination of the mindsets of players in this current generation, the Steph Curry three pointer effect, and Adam Silver's hard on for offense and player pleasing empowerment.

[_txchilibowl_]

If you want to make All-Star weekend challenging/interesting have a two-point shootout...

The players wouldn't know what to do with themselves.

[GoBlue72391]

We need to find a way to combine the immense talent and skill of today's players with the intensity and competitiveness of the players of yesteryear.

[kodo]

If you want to make All-Star weekend challenging/interesting have a two-point shootout...

The players wouldn't know what to do with themselves.

No 3s would be a great pickup game rule for the next ASG.

[Rose2Boozer]

It's a **** basketball exhibition. The problem is and has always been unrealistic expectations. The Dunk Contest is the greatest example of All Star Weekend unrealistic expectations. Enjoy the spectacle of it all or tune out. I've been tuned out of the All Star game. It is what it is, and I'm not interested. I was happy with the ASG when I was a kid.

[FriedRise]

Read on Twitter

[ScrantonBulls]

What did people expect? It's an exhibition. Look at the Pro bowl. That's an even bigger joke. There's no point in risking an injury by playing hard. The players don't what that, management doesn't want that. Hell, I even dislike when they play for the national team in a way. Imagine a Paul George situation on your team's star. That's why I find it crazy how often soccer players have to play for their national team. So often. That must drive the clubs mad.

[MGB8]

So the tiers for Max contracts are 0-6 years in league, 7-9 years in league, and 10+ years.

Having the ASG teams split between the first tier and the other 2 would be interesting. In that it might also spur some competition by the “Ascenders” and the “Established” (or however you label them). Would also be interesting on that you would have to vote for 2 separate groups of AS.

I can’t get a good listing by experience, though. But do know the 6 and under (draft class 2018 or later, and its redshirt or injury could be earlier) include Luka, SGA, Mikal Bridges, Trae Young, Brunson, JJJ, Zion, Ja, Halli, Maxey, Ant, Mobley, Scottie Barnes, Bane, MIP-candidate Sengun, Fraz Wagner, Kuminga, Jalen Duran, Banchero, Holgren, Wemby…. Putting that group up against the older generations of of stars, even in an exhibition…

[Stratmaster]

I think the last time I paid any attention to anything basketball related on all-star weekend MJ was winning the dunk competition.

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[Stratmaster]

You could fix the all-star game if you wanted to, but you'd have to do it with money, and the amount of money to fix it is more than the league would ever generate off of it.

In the end, you can't make guys play hard for exhibition games.

Honestly, I don't want my team's players playing hard in an ASG. All risk, no reward.

I mean... if my team was actually represented lol.

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[HomoSapien]

I think the last time I paid any attention to anything basketball related on all-star weekend MJ was winning the dunk competition.

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There's been lots of great moments since then of course. Magic's comeback, Jordan vs Kobe, the Iverson-led comeback, Vince winning the slamdunk contest, LaVine vs Gordon, even Mac McClung was fantastic last year. The game used to be fun even if the stakes were always low, but that was dependent on players being interested in pride and bragging rights. That motivation seems long gone with his generation. If you can assign some stakes though, the game will return.

I think in an ideal world, there would be some meaning behind the East vs. West rivalry. The best way to achieve that, IMO, is giving the winning conference gets automatic home-court advantage in the finals. It wouldn't incentive everyone, but the game would stop being meaningless and would wake the most important players.

[NZB2323]

After Kobe died and they named the all-star MVP after him, the players tried hard and Kawhi won MVP.

So it just takes a legend dying for them to try.

[Ice Man]

Has anybody been hurt in an All Star game because that player tried hard? I remember that Kobe got his nose broken, but that wasn't because he himself was playing hard.

My guess is that concern is almost entirely hypothetical and that the guys don't hold back in the All Star game out of fear of injury. I bet they play plenty hard during summer pick-up games, out of pride. But the ASG is different. It's an exhibition, so there is no hurt pride involved if your side loses. In fact, it would embarrassing if a player did try, because that would show that he doesn't understand the nature of that event.

[Mk0]

I skipped all of it this year. I usually watch even if it is just in the background.
The 3pt contest is kinda boring now
The Steph v Sabrina shootout sounded cool but hearing Kenny ruined it just made me pass on even giving it a youtube search
The dunk contest is a joke and seeing that Jaylen Brown got the Blake Griffin treatment just puts the icing on the cake
Then I saw the ASG score and just couldn't care less

The All Star game used to be the only place you could see some of these guys but with League Pass I am watching 3+ games a night. The ASG should just be about appealing to kids and getting a new generation of fans. If this works for them then you do you NBA.

[Mk0]

Has anybody been hurt in an All Star game because that player tried hard? I remember that Kobe got his nose broken, but that wasn't because he himself was playing hard.

My guess is that concern is almost entirely hypothetical and that the guys don't hold back in the All Star game out of fear of injury. I bet they play plenty hard during summer pick-up games, out of pride. But the ASG is different. It's an exhibition, so there is no hurt pride involved if your side loses. In fact, it would embarrassing if a player did try, because that would show that he doesn't understand the nature of that event.

This started with Jimmy. Butler knowing he wasn't a ASG player (all highlights and no defense) was the first modern star to kind of crap on it, but now you have Luka scoring one regular season's worth of points over his entire ASG career and Ant Edwards clowning events and only playing left handed.

Jimmy showed that it was about the recognition, not the game and that sentiment has gotten worse. Guys don't even want to go anymore because they'd rather have a full week in Cabo with their family.

[bledredwine]

Fans will never admit this, but the all-star game is directly reflective of how competitive the players and regular season are. If you have competitive players and a competitive regular season, you will have a competitive all-star game.

If you can't focus on the problems behind those bigger issues and focus on incentives instead, you're only putting a bandaid on a gaping wound.

[greenl]

Haven't watched since I was a kid. They'd be better off with a Harlem Globetrotters game