SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
If it was up the majority of the National Basketball Association players, there would be no All-Star game, but as time winds down to the March 7th annual event, it appears up to the league.
Despite a recent poll of players that voted unanimously to scratch the game because of the coronavirus pandemic’s COVID-19 issues and family matters, the league has gone ahead with its intention to play at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. It could perhaps be back in the closet if the players continue to shout it down. Yes or no, there’s only one place to go, and league owners and officials would prefer to the revenue it brings.
Yes, there would be a limit to fans in the stands, there would probably be no concession stands, but then there’s the revenue from television, because if they play, it would be on the tubes nationally, as well as on the radio.
What it is is an annual exhibition played every year between the Eastern and Western Conferences, with the starters chosen by fans and players, and the rest of the roster by the other teams, and it’s a 3-day weekend dedicated to that event. It’s always a high-scoring game, with big plays, dunks and more dunks, other showtime attractions, hugs, pats in the back, and little defense. If the teams don’t total at least 280 points, credit it to not enough shooting, but never blame the soft defenses.
Of course the purpose of the All-Star game, on a broad level, has always been to celebrate the league’s best talent. There just happens to be more of it now then ever. The competition to reach the All-Star game this time, with two-way players expanding rosters to 17, is now stiffer than ever. Yet the All-Star game hasn’t adjusted to compensate.
So maybe it’s time to expand All-Star rosters from 12 players to 15 players. You could justify higher numbers. For example, if you wanted to maintain the percentage used for the 2001 All-Star game, widely considered to be one of the most exciting ever played, you’d get 17 slots apiece. That is also the number of roster spots a typical NBA team has, including two-way selections.
Except that 15 works on a number of levels. Most simply, it is the number of full-time NBA players each team is able to employ, not including two-way contracts. Then again, if the game’s purpose is to showcase its best talent, the decision to invite less of it proportionally than ever is counterintuitive. Basketball has more All-Star caliber players than ever. So why are fewer players than ever getting recognized for that?
It’s a great argument, but then again, why will the game be played if no one wants to play it this time around?
Among the starters chosen, the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, captain of the Western team, and the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant, captain of the Eastern team, say they have no feeling for this game, like no way, Jose, we’d rather be spending that weekend with our families. Same with Eastern starter Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Western starter Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Julius Randle of the New York Knicks, having by far his best season, was named as a Eastern Conference reserve, but responded by saying that he’s happy to be playing so well, but in these times, the All-Star game doesn’t mean as much and that he choses health over just another meaningless basketball game.
Says Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, an Eastern Conference starter, “Forget about it.”
Same with the Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, a Western Conference starter. “Now is not the time to play an All-Star game, later for it,” he says. “That’s my feelings for it, and I see the players are already sticking by it.”
Others who echo the same thoughts are Western Conference starters Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Luke Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, as well as Eastern Conference starter Bradley Beal of the Washingron Wizards.
Utah Jazz’ Quinn Snyder, whose team has the best overall record in the league, will coach Team LeBron, and Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers, whose 76ers own the top record in the Eastern Conference, will coach Team Durant.
The Brooklyn Nets, currently a half-game behind Philly in the East, are the wonly team with three players, Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, with Harden the reserve and other two starters. The Boston Celtics, the Clippers, the Lakers, the 76ers, and the Jazz, have two, and 11 other clubs with one each.
The 13 without an All-Star for now: the Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, the Houston Rockets, the Indiana Pacers, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Miami Heat, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Sacramento Kings, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Toronto Raptors.
Reserves were chosen through voting by the league’s head coaches.
New Orleans Pelicans’ forward Zion Williamson, at 20 years old, was named to the Eastern Conference reserves as one of four of the youngest player in the 70-year history of the All-Star game. Joining him as fellow All-Star game rookies are Randle, Boston’s Jaylen Brown and the Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine. In addition, Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul is an All-Star for the 11th time after being included to the Western Conference roster, and Harden for the nine consecutive time.
The rest of the Eastern Conference reserves are Philadelphia’s Eddie Simmons, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and the Orlando Magics’ Nikola Vucevic, while the remaining Western Conference reserves are the Lakers’ Anthony Davis, the Clippers’ Paul George, Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and the Portland Trailblazers’ Damian Lillard.
“It’s an honor,” says Mitchell, “but should there be a game this time is not something I agree with.”
Surprisingly not selected were Atlanta’s sharpshooting Tre Young, Miami forwards Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Phoenix’ Devin Booker, and Utah’s Mike Conley.
As for Williamson, only James, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson were younger in their All-Star debuts.
Right now, the game is on, and if some players don’t report, it could result in fines or starters replacing starters and reserves replacing reserves. Either way, it will still be advertised as the All-Star game, but in a different manner this time. Oh, and the basketball court will remain the same, as will the scoreboard and the officials, but the stands will have cardboard fans and the sideline benches will instead be seats separated by six feet of space and face mask restrictions.
