The All-Star Weekend discussion thread

I hope they do away with the draft format if we ever have two players in this thing again. I bet Fox and Domas may have had more fun if they got to do their thing together.

Also I never recalled the minutes looking this unbalanced. I went to the show and missed second half, but I don't see anything that makes me want to go back and watch. Glad Haliburton had a nice game. Saw he even had less minutes than Fox despite the stats. WTH?
 
Vinny Basketballerino said:
The entire weekend has become complete garbage except for the three point competition.

The League is completely misreading what the fans want, that, or they're deliberately doing something weird because of agents or something - push ing "stars" on us. Whatever it is, it's incredibly uninteresting.
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it seems to me they are trying to outthink themselves by doing the "out of the box" type of thinking by finding more ways to increase revenue and perhaps draw in more casual fans but for those who watch the NBA as their main sport or favorite sport, it's simply hurting the product and what the fans liked watching. I haven't watched a All-Star game since the Iverson, McGrady, Garnett days and decided not to watch any this weekend and I won't until things change.
 
I watched a 6 minute highlights video of the dunk contest and the 3 point contest on YouTube. I think that was all I needed.
 
hrdboild said:
All 25 of them? I don't think so, no. He never seems to play when I'm watching. What I have seen is a lot more than 25 minutes worth of garbage backup big men on other teams grabbing rebounds over the top of our entire lineup because we don't have a single full-size center in the rotation. I'm not asking him to go toe to toe with Embiid and Jokic -- I just want someone to come in and hit back when the Thomas Bryant's of the league are putting up superstar numbers against us. Keep him in the toolbox and deploy him when needed.
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Of those 25 minutes, maybe 2 were ok. And only on offense. He was unplayable.
 
Reading all these comments, sounds like i missed some NFL pro-bowl style entertainment.

How many more years till the NBA all star game gets pro bowl treatment?
 
NBA All-Star is the most entertaining out of all of the "major" American sports, and yet it appears to be the only one where people will go out of their way to tell you that they didn't watch it.
 
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
I'm not playing dumb. From my point of view, you completely misread my post, and I'm trying to understand what argument you think I was making, that you think I'm "reaching" for?
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Look at Ja Morants stat line. Bam Adebayo. All Star game means nothing, and just because Haliburton actually tried where Sabonis and Fox could not have cared less doesn't mean those takes are going to increase. That is a reach.
 
PorchSurfin said:
Look at Ja Morants stat line. Bam Adebayo. All Star game means nothing, and just because Haliburton actually tried where Sabonis and Fox could not have cared less doesn't mean those takes are going to increase. That is a reach.
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Your thesis presupposes that people giving hot takes care 1) whether the All-Star game means anything, and 2) whether Sabonis and Fox were trying or not. The takes, should they come, are going to be based on the fact that Haliburton was on the court in the fourth quarter, when Team LeBron still thought they could win, and he put up numbers, not solely because of the numbers themselves. I might be wrong (and so what if I am?), but I'm not "reaching."
 
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
NBA All-Star is the most entertaining out of all of the "major" American sports, and yet it appears to be the only one where people will go out of their way to tell you that they didn't watch it.
Click to expand...

I think the NBA, like any professional sports league, is having a difficult time justifying the existence of its All-Star festivities with the slew of entertainment choices available to the average individual on a daily basis, and with players so focused on personal "brand management" that the vast majority of the league's premiere talent opts out of all events that aren't the headline game itself, and with an audience so focused on their phones that they can hardly bother to look up from them long enough to watch lackluster events in which the participants are largely going through the motions. It just doesn't feel special anymore. It feels weirdly like obligation, for participants and fans alike, and I'm honestly not sure what the league can do about that. There are only so many gimmicks they can conjure before the viewing public invokes the law of diminishing returns, and I think that's where we are right now, with a diminished All-Star festival that few treat as the big midseason celebration of basketball that the league wants it to be.

Your point is well-taken that NBA fans do seem to go out of their way to pat themselves on the back for not watching the All-Star events. I mean, I didn't watch a single minute, either; I worked on a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle with my wife and didn't at all regret missing the All-Star festivities. For me, the All-Star break is a good time to actually unplug from all NBA-related activity. But I also don't feel the need to opt out in any kind of demonstrative way, harping about the lack of defense or the imbalanced allocation of minutes between the starters and reserves. None of it means anything! People remember the All-Star selections but not much about the All-Star events themselves. In a different era, Vince Carter's infamous dunk contest performance had staying power within the low-stakes context of All-Star weekend. But in an era of extreme entertainment choice and shrinking attention spans and championship-or-bust mentalities, I just can't imagine a single moment from any All-Star event ever having the kind of impact that extends beyond the weekend of its occurrence. How does the league make it a momentous occasion again instead of an exercise in cynical obligation?
 
I think MLB is probably the "best" all-star event, given you can assemble a team of all-stars and give them a competent manager and let them all play 2-3 innings. The Home Run Derby will always be fun.

NBA All Star weekend used to be it, and is in fact the most watchable of the events. But man has it taken a nosedive. I would like to see it go more back to basics. East vs. West - but if not, have the vote and selection based on the criteria so the team can get a few practices in and you are picking a team based on who will play. Do whatever it takes to get stars back in the dunk contest. They are physically there as All Stars, make it happen.

One thing that has bummed me out in all of this though is the talk about Sacramento hosting a future event. SLC got it, they are not a glam destination, but no doubt they do have the infrastructure to have hosted the Olympics in the build useless one-time-use infrastructure era, and are making a second bid, so good on them. I always thought that revolving the sites was just a nice way to show off new arenas that cities build and reward the local fans but I guess NBA has made it clear by prioritizing hotels that hometown fans are not really welcome/expected to be the bulk of attendees at these events nowadays. Which is sad. And frankly that probably reflects the problems with the product itself.
 
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
Your thesis presupposes that people giving hot takes care 1) whether the All-Star game means anything, and 2) whether Sabonis and Fox were trying or not. The takes, should they come, are going to be based on the fact that Haliburton was on the court in the fourth quarter, when Team LeBron still thought they could win, and he put up numbers, not solely because of the numbers themselves. I might be wrong (and so what if I am?), but I'm not "reaching."
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If You are wrong, which I'm 99.9% you are, then it was a reach.
 
macadocious said:
Of those 25 minutes, maybe 2 were ok. And only on offense. He was unplayable.
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This is verifiably untrue. He's gotten into 4 games this season: GameLog 22-23

Of those, 2 of them basically don't count. He got 2 minutes against Philly and 4 minutes against Washington. I'm assuming you saw the game against the Sixers when he racked up three fouls somehow in 2 minutes? In the other two games he played 7 minutes against Charlotte and grabbed 4 rebounds and blocked a shot. I think that qualifies as a good outing. He played 10 minutes against the Lakers and scored 10 points on 5-5 shooting and grabbed 3 rebounds. I think that qualifies as a good outing. I don't think he has anything else to learn in the G-League at this point. If Monte McNair can't find a backup Center on the waiver wire, Queta should be put on the active roster even if he only ends up playing a few minutes a week. Waive Alex Len since he's not playing anyway and get me Stanley Johnson to defend wings in the playoffs. Done and done.
 
hrdboild said:
Queta should be put on the active roster even if he only ends up playing a few minutes a week. Waive Alex Len since he's not playing anyway and get me Stanley Johnson to defend wings in the playoffs. Done and done.
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I think this is a pretty risk free and productive way to end the season. Stanley probably would get good advice to join this team from Pop and Len is only in during garbage time, there's no development or reason for him to be there except as a thank you for being here. Hey that's nice for any vets thinking of signing here but it's not really growing the team which is basically at the lunch stop on the elevator to the top.
 
I’m sorry. You cannot look at box scores. He had an ok stretch of offense where he was fed perfect passes. The D was atrocious. Had no idea where to be.
 
Padrino said:
I think the NBA, like any professional sports league, is having a difficult time justifying the existence of its All-Star festivities with the slew of entertainment choices available to the average individual on a daily basis, and with players so focused on personal "brand management" that the vast majority of the league's premiere talent opts out of all events that aren't the headline game itself, and with an audience so focused on their phones that they can hardly bother to look up from them long enough to watch lackluster events in which the participants are largely going through the motions. It just doesn't feel special anymore. It feels weirdly like obligation, for participants and fans alike, and I'm honestly not sure what the league can do about that. There are only so many gimmicks they can conjure before the viewing public invokes the law of diminishing returns, and I think that's where we are right now, with a diminished All-Star festival that few treat as the big midseason celebration of basketball that the league wants it to be.

Your point is well-taken that NBA fans do seem to go out of their way to pat themselves on the back for not watching the All-Star events. I mean, I didn't watch a single minute, either; I worked on a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle with my wife and didn't at all regret missing the All-Star festivities. For me, the All-Star break is a good time to actually unplug from all NBA-related activity. But I also don't feel the need to opt out in any kind of demonstrative way, harping about the lack of defense or the imbalanced allocation of minutes between the starters and reserves. None of it means anything! People remember the All-Star selections but not much about the All-Star events themselves. In a different era, Vince Carter's infamous dunk contest performance had staying power within the low-stakes context of All-Star weekend. But in an era of extreme entertainment choice and shrinking attention spans and championship-or-bust mentalities, I just can't imagine a single moment from any All-Star event ever having the kind of impact that extends beyond the weekend of its occurrence. How does the league make it a momentous occasion again instead of an exercise in cynical obligation?
Click to expand...
Totally agree... I really don't think there is anything at this point that will make the all star game interesting. It is what it is. I sometimes wonder if this is what it's always been, and I've just grown out of any enjoyment I used to take from it. I liked the all star game weekend when I was 15 (ehhhh hmmm.... early 90's). It may have been a little bit more competitive back then, but it's still largely a game that I think only really appeals to kids. Seeing stars, watching a few dunks, a concert before the game of a current act, etc.

It's never going to appeal to 99% of the people on this forum because (i) we are hardcore fans of basketball and watching a defenseless game just seems.... pointless, and (ii) we are diehard fans of the Kings. I will turn on a non-Kings game every so often, but it's more background noise to me (playoff basketball is the exception.) I get enjoyment from living and dying with the Kings. Yes, there is a sense of pride to see a couple Kings take part in the game, but lets be honest, they were both generally afterthoughts to a game that's most interested in Labron-mania and the top 10 "superstars" of the NBA. The high-point was them getting the recognition from being selected to the game. They both knew it... fox basically said he knew he wasn't going to make any sort of mark on the game. If he doesn't hit half court threes or throw down a 360 dunk, nobody will remember any of it the next day. You really think anyone wants to see Fox pulling up for a midrange jumper in the all star game? Some could say we are on a "treadmill", but I like that fact that both of our all stars have games that are (in their own ways) grind it out, somewhat old-school basketball.
 
But in the 90s Mitch was able to win ASG MVP and basically cement his place in the NBA. The small market players on dog teams got minutes and a chance to shine that they aren't getting today.

I don't think we're just looking at it through nostalgic lenses. Something is different. It may just be that players don't want to be there but go for endorsement and contract bonuses.
 
pdxKingsFan said:
But in the 90s Mitch was able to win ASG MVP and basically cement his place in the NBA. The small market players on dog teams got minutes and a chance to shine that they aren't getting today.

I don't think we're just looking at it through nostalgic lenses. Something is different. It may just be that players don't want to be there but go for endorsement and contract bonuses.
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That's a fair point....I'm not sure it was ever this bad. I guess the main point is that 15 year old me likely would have still gotten some enjoyment out of the whole spectacle.

I hadn't watched for years, but gave it a shot yesterday because of Fox and Sabonis. After seeing the first few minutes of people moving at 50% speed and basically acting like a traffic cone on defense I gave up. At the same time, I'm not angry about it and I really don't care if it ever changes. I don't really find much enjoyment from any sort of exhibition games to begin with.
 
TaxMan said:
That's a fair point....I'm not sure it was ever this bad. I guess the main point is that 15 year old me likely would have still gotten some enjoyment out of the whole spectacle.
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Yeah my son who has been begging me to take him to a concert at the Moda Center forever turned down 10th row of the Eagles last night to watch the game on tv.
 
Padrino said:
I think the NBA, like any professional sports league, is having a difficult time justifying the existence of its All-Star festivities with the slew of entertainment choices available to the average individual on a daily basis, and with players so focused on personal "brand management" that the vast majority of the league's premiere talent opts out of all events that aren't the headline game itself, and with an audience so focused on their phones that they can hardly bother to look up from them long enough to watch lackluster events in which the participants are largely going through the motions. It just doesn't feel special anymore. It feels weirdly like obligation, for participants and fans alike, and I'm honestly not sure what the league can do about that. There are only so many gimmicks they can conjure before the viewing public invokes the law of diminishing returns, and I think that's where we are right now, with a diminished All-Star festival that few treat as the big midseason celebration of basketball that the league wants it to be.
Click to expand...
Blame the players, if you want. Blame the league, if you want. You might be right, but I strongly disagree. I blame the 24/7/365 sports news cycle, which required everybody to have an opinion on every player, and every team, all the time. And I blame the fans, who used to just appreciate a dude because he was cold, and have since created this sort of fandom that only consumes sports as zero-sum, where you're either the champion or you're nobody. Back in the era that people reminisce so fondly about, people didn't consume sports like that, at least the majority didn't. And when it came time for the All-Star game, the athletes actually wanted to pit themselves against each other to see who was the best... WE (the "royal" we) have communicated to them that the only thing we care about is "Do it when it matters!" "Do it in the playoffs!" "Do it in the Finals!" And after 25 or 30 years of that mentality from the fans, guess what? This is what we get! Three decades or so of RINGZ~! Cultue and "If you ain't first, you're last!" attitude, and now it's, "I can't believe these entitled millionaires don't want to play hard in the All-Star game!" This was the inevitable result of what we've told them we wanted.
 
PorchSurfin said:
If You are wrong, which I'm 99.9% you are, then it was a reach.
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If I'm wrong, then so what? This **** doesn't matter. It's not like, if I'm wrong, I'm going to deny that I said it. You could have just said that you don't think it'll be that big a deal and kept it moving, without accusing me of "reaching."
 
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