By Associated Press’s Tim Reynolds
LAS VEGAS The NBA said on Tuesday that it has finalized plans to employ a revamped structure for the forthcoming midseason showcase in San Francisco, meaning that this season’s All-Star Game will be an All-Star tournament.
And there will undoubtedly be a significant decline in scoring.
Three teams of eight All-Stars each compete in a four-team, three-game, one-night tournament this season. The winner of the Rising Stars challenge for first- and second-year players is the fourth team. The first team to reach 40 points will win every game.
It will take place at the Golden State Warriors’ home on February 16. On February 14, the Rising Stars event will take center stage at All-Star Friday.
After the teams combined for a record 397 points, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver finally made his wish for a more competitive All-Star tournament a reality.Last season’s championship game at Indianapolis ended in a score of 211-186.
94% of the 289 shots that the teams attempted in the game last year were either inside the paint or beyond the 3-point line.
They’re trying to spice things up, which is understandable given the elephant in the room—us competing—said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a guard with the Oklahoma City Thunder who is set to be selected to the All-Star team for the third consecutive season. Ultimately, it will depend on the players’ desire to compete, and I would really want to see that. I would definitely want to be a part of that, and I hope it does.
In recent years, there have been more changes to the All-Star format. Following the first 66 All-Star Games, which were essentially four quarters of 12 minutes each between the Eastern and Western Conferences, the league changed to a model in which the top vote-getters from each conference became captains and had the ability to choose their teams.
LeBron James was one of the six captains, followed by Stephen Curry once, Kevin Durant twice, and Giannis Antetokounmpo three times.
On Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Las Vegas, guard Trae Young (11) of the Atlanta Hawks runs into Khris Middleton (right) of the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half of an NBA Cup basketball tournament semifinal. (Photo by Ian Maule/AP)
The All-Star Games implemented a target score at the conclusion of games in four of the captain’s selection years, guaranteeing that the champion was determined by a made shot. The victor was the first team to reach whatever the top team’s score was after three quarters, plus 24 points—24 being a reference to Kobe Bryant’s final jersey number—in the fourth quarter, which was untimed.
Last year, it returned to the East vs. West format, which featured a record number of points, a 70-foot jumper attempt by Luka Doncic, a 50-foot underhand inbounds pass by Donovan Mitchell, a ball inbound to Bam Adebayo after he threw it off Nikola Jokic’s backside, five 3-pointers in 92 seconds by Tyrese Haliburton, and a 44-foot jumper by Damian Lillard to cap off the evening.
Following his MVP-winning performance in the game the previous year, Lillard stated, “I think something could be done about it.” I believe there is a method to make the game more competitive, but I’m not sure how.
The league is hopeful that it has discovered the solution.
Voting format
The format remains the same for the All-Star voting, which starts on Thursday.
Voters can cast ballots for three frontcourt and two backcourt players from both conferences every day until January 20.
It will be included in a weighted formula. To choose the ten players who will be starting, there will be a 50% fan vote, a 25% media panel vote, and a 25% current player vote.
The 14 players that are designated as reserves will be chosen by NBA head coaches.
However, since there will be 15 different players starting—five from each of the three teams—and just nine players coming off the bench in those semifinal games, the starter and reserve columns won’t mean anything on game night.
On Sunday, December 1, 2024, in Inglewood, California, center Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, on the right, locks up center Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers as Zubac attempts to shoot during the first half of an NBA basketball game. (Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo)
How the teams will be picked
On February 6, TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O. Neal will select teams from the 24-player All-Star pool. Team Shaq, Team Charles, and Team Kenny will be the names of the teams.
For Candace Parker, the Rising Stars champion who advances to the All-Star competition will be referred to as Team Candace.
Coaching staffs
The All-Star Game will be attended by the coaching staffs of the Eastern and Western Conference teams with the best records. (Since they coached the previous season, the coaching staffs from Minnesota and Milwaukee cannot be involved this year.)
In the All-Star tournament, one assistant coach from each staff will be the head coach of the other two teams, while the East and West head coaches will each coach a team in the competition.
Prize money
For the All-Star Game, there is a $1.8 million prize pool.
The All-Star champion team’s players receive $125,000 apiece, the runners-up receive $50,000 each, and the teams who are ousted in the semifinals receive $25,000 each.
https://apnews.com/hub/nba is the AP NBA.
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