{"id":14855,"date":"2023-02-23T03:32:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-23T03:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/23\/how-one-picture-exposed-the-big-problem-and-possible-solution-to-the-nbas-all-star-game-joke\/"},"modified":"2023-02-23T03:32:00","modified_gmt":"2023-02-23T03:32:00","slug":"how-one-picture-exposed-the-big-problem-and-possible-solution-to-the-nbas-all-star-game-joke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/23\/how-one-picture-exposed-the-big-problem-and-possible-solution-to-the-nbas-all-star-game-joke\/","title":{"rendered":"How one picture exposed the big problem… and possible solution to the NBA\u2019s All-Star game joke\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone called it the \u201cworst basketball game ever played\u201d.<\/p>\n

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, likened it to a \u201cglorified layup line\u201d. <\/p>\n

Even reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic simply felt like he didn\u2019t belong, telling reporters: \u201cI\u2019m not meant for this game\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cFix this,\u201d basketball writer Josh Eberley tweeted, tagging the NBA in a screenshot of Brown going up against Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum as all other players on the floor watched on.<\/p>\n

Watch an average of 9 LIVE NBA Regular Season games per week on ESPN on Kayo Sports on ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now<\/a> ><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

Funnily enough, a 1-on-1 tournament of some kind is exactly what some NBA fans have been calling for and what some see as the most logical solution to fixing the All-Star game. <\/p>\n

The game was supposed to celebrate the best of what the league and its superstar talent has to offer but instead, somewhere along the way, it has become nothing more than a novelty.<\/p>\n

Even last year, when the NBA decide to still host the event amid a global pandemic, LeBron James made a few telling comments which spoke to how players really <\/i>approach the game.<\/p>\n

Outside of calling that decision a \u201cslap in the face\u201d, James also said he had \u201czero energy\u201d and \u201czero excitement\u201d about playing in the game, adding he and his teammates had been looking forward to a \u201cnice little break\u201d. <\/p>\n

Load management is already one of the biggest issues facing the league right now but there is no easy solution. The same rings true for fixing the All-Star game. <\/p>\n

Malone, who branded this year\u2019s instalment the \u201cworst basketball game ever played\u201d, said so himself.<\/p>\n

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How can the All-Star game be fixed? (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if you can fix it,\u201d he said after the game. <\/p>\n

\u201cI give Joel Embiid and Kyrie Irving [credit], those two guys were competing. They tried to get some defence in. No one got hurt, they put on a show for the fans, but that\u2019s a tough game to sit through, I\u2019m not going to lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was equally tough for those watching at home and even the players themselves, with Brown telling reporters the league needs to find a way to make it \u201ca little bit more competitive\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll is fun in games like this,\u201d Brown said. <\/p>\n

\u201cReal basketball is different. This was like a layup line. I don\u2019t know how much notoriety we would want to to get from this. This was a glorified layup line. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to figure out how to make the game a little bit more competitive. If the fans like it, that\u2019s all that matters.\u201d <\/p>\n

But the general consensus was they didn\u2019t \u2014 and the numbers backed it up. <\/p>\n

This year\u2019s game was the least-watched edition in history, dropping 29 per cent in ratings and 27 per cent in viewership from 2022, per Sports Media Watch<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Prominent NBA journalist Zach Lowe even called it \u201cunwatchable\u201d while speaking on his podcast earlier in the week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole game was a complete joke,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201c.. The game was unwatchable and even the participants in the game said it was unwatchable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former NBA player turned media personality J.J. Redick agreed, saying it was \u201cnot remotely fun to watch\u201d while echoing similar thoughts to Brown and Malone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tend to agree with what Jaylen Brown said,\u201d Redick opened<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhich was, \u2018That was not basketball. That was a glorified lay-up line\u2019. I tend to agree with Michael Malone [who said], \u2018That was the worst basketball game ever played\u2019, maybe a little harsh but I tend to agree with it. <\/p>\n

\u201cI feel for the fans who want to see a show but also want to see guys compete.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Howard among 12 ejections in wild brawl! | 01:31<\/p>\n

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The problem though as Redick explained is that the game and All-Star weekend as a whole is not set up in its current format to generate the more competitive approach fans may be after.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did the All-Star Weekend two years, I was not an All-Star all I did was compete in the 3-point content on Saturday, got out of there Sunday morning both times,\u201d Redick said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was non-stop, all day long. You obviously have appearances, there is community events that every player that participates in All-Star Weekend has to do. So you\u2019re travelling all around, constantly moving from one event to another. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe game itself is a f***ing spectacle. I love the draft before the game. Then there\u2019s a Post Malone concert. It\u2019s not meant to be competitive. How the day of the game is set up, how the pre-game is set up \u2014 I was watching the pre-game show [and] there were guys doing their shooting two hours before tip-off. I don\u2019t know of a single All-Star who does that. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe game preparation to get yourself in a place to compete does not exist. The idea we are supposed to watch LeBron and Giannis try to crack jokes for what seemed like 35 minutes and then watch a Post Malone concert and then expect these guys to go out at full tilt, it never has been realistic and it\u2019s not realistic with the way it\u2019s set up now.\u201d<\/p>\n

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US rapper Post Malone performs ahead of the NBA All-Star game. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon \/ AFP)<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That in itself begs the question. Sure, there are suggestions that making it USA vs The World or playing a 1-on-1 tournament could bring out the competitive firepower everyone is after.<\/p>\n

But even still, that alone would not address the \u201cnon-stop, all day long\u201d nature of the week itself that Redick said is part of the problem in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel for fans,\u201d Redick added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what the solution is. I think what fans want is what Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dion Waiters gave us a few years ago at the Rising Stars game. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat fans want is a little bit harder than what Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum did in the third because they were still moving at about 60 per cent when they were going one-on-one. Fans want to see that and I get that but there was none of that, zero resistance, and it was not remotely fun to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, it\u2019s a low bar, but how can the NBA make the All-Star game even <\/i>remotely fun to watch?<\/p>\n

Well, Oklahoma City Thunder guard and first-time All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a simple solution when asked after the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoney talks you know,\u201d he said, while wearing a fur coat of course. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s more incentive I think guys will take it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

But would money really <\/i>make a difference for the league\u2019s biggest names, who pocketing plenty already?<\/p>\n

It certainly made a difference for Mac McClung, who nearly matched his career earnings with the $1000,000 dunk contest win after signing a two-way contract with the 76ers.<\/p>\n

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Mac McClung and former professional basketball player Julius Erving pose with the trophy after his victory in the Slam Dunk Contest. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu \/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA \/ Getty Images via AFP)<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cBut what\u2019s the value for Ja Morant?\u201d asked Redick.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more downside than upside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even throwing more money at it poses questions, as Lowe explained, starting with where the extra cash would come in the first place.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone on the winning team right now gets $100,000,\u201d Lowe said on his podcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone on the losing team gets $25,000. That\u2019s obviously not enough to make the players care. The money thing is complicated for two reasons. <\/p>\n

\u201cOne, where is the money coming from? Because if it\u2019s $1 million a player, that\u2019s $12 million. That\u2019s got to come from somewhere. I don\u2019t think the union would be happy with it coming out of the 51 per cent BRI (Basketball Related Income). It\u2019d have to become extra money. Who is supplying the extra money? Is it the owners, sponsors? <\/p>\n

\u201cI just don\u2019t think it\u2019d go over well with fans if it is, \u2018Oh, now they\u2019re trying\u2019. I just think any solution where the players get an enormous amount of stuff, the optics are going to be bad, unless you get $1 million and get to donate it to a charity of choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

So if paying the players more money to compete isn\u2019t the simple fix, could a return to East vs West or even a matchup of the best U.S. and international players be part of the solution? <\/p>\n

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There was little defence played. (Photo by Kyle Terada – Pool\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ohm Youngmisuk, an NBA reporter for ESPN<\/i>, doubts the latter would have the desired effect.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were to do Team USA vs International All-Stars, I think that\u2019d be interesting for the fans but at the same time, what would make the players want to try win that game?\u201d he said on Lowe\u2019s podcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre they really playing for international or country pride? It\u2019s not like they\u2019re playing for a global medal. At the end of the day it\u2019s still going to be the same thing, they don\u2019t want to get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the East vs West suggestions, Lowe said it would be \u201cinsane\u201d to decide home court advantage for the Finals series with an exhibition game that otherwise has little meaning. <\/p>\n

After all, it is more being named an All-Star than playing in the game itself that is the honour.<\/p>\n

And from speaking to those on the ground in Utah, Youngmisuk left with a similar impression that the league needs to find some way to better get players to buy into the event. <\/p>\n

The problem though is that he, likely many people right now, doesn\u2019t know exactly what that is.<\/p>\n

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#1 prospect shows off skills at 7’4! | 00:49<\/p>\n

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\u201cI got this sense talking to players in the leading days up to All-Star when they were selecting teams that guys were kind of just looking forward to having the break,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of these guys will say, \u2018It\u2019s always an honour to be named an All-Star\u2019 and you want to be an All-Star but they also don\u2019t want to be there. And I don\u2019t know what the answer is to wanting them to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

If there is any hope for the All-Star game, the NBA can look to McClung, who Shaquille O\u2019Neal said \u201cdefinitely saved the dunk contest\u201d. <\/p>\n

McClung went from being called up from the G League earlier that week to the talk of the town. <\/p>\n

He did it with exactly what the All-Stars game could\u2019ve done with \u2014 a little more effort and competitive spirit.<\/p>\n

Rediscovering both of those things though may be much harder than it seems. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone called it the \u201cworst basketball game ever played\u201d. Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, likened it to a \u201cglorified layup line\u201d. Even reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic simply felt like he didn\u2019t belong, telling reporters: \u201cI\u2019m not meant for this game\u201d. \u201cFix this,\u201d basketball writer Josh Eberley tweeted, tagging the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5758,2228,1800,2988,5763,2613,5752,5743,2997,4818,5767,5760,1788,5611,5766,5754,1425,5759,5751,5541,5742,5753,2852,5747,5744,5768,5745,5757,1805,5756,5746,5765,5750,5769,1533,1809,2354,5762,5755,5761,5553,5748,2571,5749,5741,5764,2506,2625,1792,2695,5163,3024],"class_list":{"0":"post-14855","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-home","8":"tag-absolute-joke","9":"tag-agence-france-presse","10":"tag-america","11":"tag-andrew-jackson","12":"tag-basketball-writer","13":"tag-boston-celtics","14":"tag-career-earnings","15":"tag-competitive-approach-fans","16":"tag-denver-nuggets","17":"tag-dunk-contest","18":"tag-dunk-contest-win","19":"tag-dwight-howard","20":"tag-espn-inc","21":"tag-exhibition-game","22":"tag-fur-coat","23":"tag-game-preparation","24":"tag-getty-images-inc","25":"tag-glorified-lay-up-line","26":"tag-glorified-layup-line","27":"tag-heaps-praise","28":"tag-home-court-advantage","29":"tag-j-j-redick","30":"tag-jayson-tatum","31":"tag-josh-eberley","32":"tag-julius-erving","33":"tag-kyle-terada","34":"tag-layup-line","35":"tag-league-needs","36":"tag-lebron-james","37":"tag-load-management","38":"tag-media-personality","39":"tag-michael-malone","40":"tag-money-talks","41":"tag-money-thing","42":"tag-north-america","43":"tag-northern-america","44":"tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","45":"tag-players-care","46":"tag-possible-solution","47":"tag-professional-basketball-player","48":"tag-prospect-shows","49":"tag-sense-talking","50":"tag-shaquille-oneal","51":"tag-sports-media-watch","52":"tag-superstar-talent","53":"tag-taiwanese-t1-league","54":"tag-tim-hardaway","55":"tag-tim-nwachukwu","56":"tag-united-states-of-america","57":"tag-utah","58":"tag-worst-basketball-game","59":"tag-zach-lowe"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}