Silver: Necessary changes coming to NBA All-Star Game
Television ratings for this year's NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans were the highest since 2013.
Yet, despite the increased viewership, the consensus across the league - and with fans of the product - is that the exhibition lacked a level of intensity to turn it into a compelling watch, with the players having little incentive to make it the slightest bit competitive.
League commissioner Adam Silver is well aware of the complaints, telling FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver on Friday that changes are indeed coming to the format.
"Chris (Paul) said, 'We need to fix this,'" said Silver, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "There is kind of a group-think notion out there that when you have general managers and coaches in essence saying, 'Go easy, don't forget this is just for fun.'"
Silver mentioned that Paul - the president of the National Basketball Players Association - reached out to him shortly after the Western Conference's 192-182 victory over the East at the Smoothie King Center last month.
One of the ideas the two discussed was ditching fan voting and having two predetermined captains selecting the roster, similar to what the National Hockey League did in 2011. Having an area for a four-point shot on the floor was also tossed around.
"It is an All-Star Game, and you are out there to have fun," Silver added.You hear people talking about 4-point shots, something that's not about to happen in the NBA but maybe in an All-Star Game; maybe there is few spots on the floor where it is a 4-point shot, maybe there's a half-court shot in the last minute that is 10 points. I don't know. Maybe those are crazy ideas.
"I encourage people (to email) Adam@NBA.com. We will change it by next year. It shouldn't be playoff intensity, but the guys should be playing."