Chris Paul and Adam Silver sat down this summer to discuss the NBA-All Star game format and it’s lack of excitement the past several years. It’s been widely reported on the new changes being brought to the contest this upcoming season in Los Angeles and what to the implications could mean in terms of the excitement of the game and it’s spirit of competitiveness.
The real take away from this smoke and mirror show is the implications that will result from this dynamic change to the fabric of the All-Star weekend history that has largely gone unchanged since 1951.
The change to team captains (top two vote-getters) with a pickup-style selection of players irrespective of conferences goes against the foundation of the game; but in one of the greatest ways possible. This will allow us to see fantasy teams comprised of players we would go our whole lives without ever seeing due to a silly limitation like conferences which were installed only to accommodate travel back in the day that was done via coach buses and commercial planes, (as opposed to always available private team planes current day.)
Don’t fall for the okey doke though; this is a setup move, whether maniacally calculated or not, effectively shifting the consciousness of sweeping changes occuring in the NBA in ensuing years. More specifically, the proverbial discourse on updating playoff seeding is on a crash course to revolution. Look at the pieces that have unfolded in just the past few years from the new commissioner and realize It’s coming very soon to a season near you.
Adam Silver has done a good job of creating the perception that he’s a different commissioner. Just in the past week alone, Silver has enacted a reform of the NBA draft lottery as well as the All-Star game. Although he’s on record this very summer stating that changing the playoff format isn’t a priority right now, it’s only a matter of time before we’re watching only the 16 best teams compete instead of the atrocity that is the Eastern Conference every postseason.
In July, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk reported on Adam Silver’s latest comments regarding playoff reform:
“NBA commissioner Adam Silver says that despite more stars heading to the West and power imbalance, the NBA won't make changes to the conferences or playoff structure. Silver said NBA examined the process two years ago and opted not to make changes. Silver admits NBA could revisit issue but it is "not at the top of agenda right now."
Silver is aware that this playoff change needs to happen, but based on what’s taken priority for him recently, it looks like he wants to ease his way into overhauling something as monumental as the playoffs. The fanbase needs to be primed before the new coat of postseason paint is applied.
The emergence of super teams becoming the norm, especially considering the formation of the Thunder (which happened after Silver’s comments) will certainly ramp up his agenda in terms of playoff reform, and you’d be hard pressed to find a player or fan of the game that has an opposition to it. At the end of the day, people want to see the best product on the court and watching teams like Indiana and Atlanta show up with their own broomsticks in late April isn’t quite the NBA fan’s dream.