The NBA announced changes to the All-Star Game that will scrap the traditional East vs. West format in favor of two captains who will select their teams from a pool of players selected to participate.
Twelve players from each conference will continue to take part in the game, but the player from each conference with the most fan votes will choose their teams from the remaining 22 players, regardless of whether they’re in the East or West. More details on the draft process are still to come, but fans, media and players will continue to vote for the 10 starters, and coaches will still pick the 14 reserves.
I'm not really a fan of the idea. When it comes to things like this, I'm in favour of preserving tradition and having a set structure, which the conferences provide. It gets worse, though...
Silver also suggested that the league would consider “crazy ideas,” including a half-court shot worth 10 points, even encouraging fans to email concepts to him. It is unclear if further changes are in order.
No, no, no. A thousand times no. The game does not need "crazy ideas". It never needed "crazy ideas". The All-Star Game used to be a fun exhibition of the NBA's best players (give or take a selection or snub here and there) that had great competitive spirit and an entertaining pick-up game atmosphere. Now it's a glorified layup line and impromptu three-point contest. Considering half the problem has been players racing the ball up court and tossing up 40 foot threes within five seconds, I don't see how adding a 10-point half-court shot is going to fix that.
It really seems Silver is determined to put his stamp on the league by making all these changes, supposedly in the name of progress and innovation. However, a lot of them strike me as being changes for the sake of change, or changes that don't really address the root of the problem. Silver is basically going the Microsoft route with the NBA: changing things for the sake of it, "fixing" things that don't need to be fixed, and ignoring actual issues that do need to be addressed. I miss David Stern, and I didn't think I'd ever say that by the end of his tenure.