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2017 NBA All-Star Weekend: How To Make It Even Better

The 2017 NBA All-Star weekend is packed with a very exciting format. Basketball fans will not be disappointed. How can we make it better?

The very awaited stage has been set for this year’s 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend. The line-ups are in place, the venue in historic New Orleans at the Spectrum Center is spectacular in itself, and the match up against two powerhouse conferences (the East vs. the West) will be an incredible show to watch. The NBA and TNT are sure to feast from this fortunate weekend harvest.

To add to the weekend spectacle there is the “Skills Challenge” with a very intriguing line-up, as well as, the famous “Slam Dunk Contest”, and many other quality events. With so much to offer to the fans, what could possibly make the All-Star Weekend any better? Well, we’ve come up with a strategy that could make the All-Star game and the weekend more interesting, more alluring, and at least more competitive. The inspiration for this strategy leans more towards the obvious than to actual virtuosity.

2017 NBA All-Star Weekend: How To Make It Even Better

“It is what it is,” said Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook. “It’s the nature of the business, the game. I don’t play for All-Star nods or All-Star bids. I play to win championships, and every night I compete at a high level. It will work out. Just continue to do what I’m doing and play the game the right way.”

Westbrook not being voted to the starting line-up is old news at this point. The All-Star roster has been finalized for days now. Averaging a triple-double for a full season and being the second player ever to do so, just isn’t enough to persuade the fans to vote Westbrook over guards Stephen Curry and James Harden. Westbrook still gets to play in the game, he’ll just be coming off the bench. “It is what it is.”

This could very well be the greatest All-Star Weekend in the history of NBA basketball. That being said, what could possibly make the exhibition any better? First of all, let’s take a look at the line-ups.

Western Conference Starters

PLAYER                                    TEAM

Stephen Curry                        Golden State Warriors
James Harden                        Houston Rockets
Kevin Durant                          Golden State Warriors
Kawhi Leonard                       San Antonio Spurs
Anthony Davis                        New Orleans Pelicans

Western Conference Reserves

PLAYER                                     TEAM

Russell Westbrook                  Oklahoma City Thunder
Klay Thompson                       Golden State Warriors
Gordon Hayward                     Utah Jazz
DeMarcus Cousins                   Sacramento Kings
DeAndre Jordan                      Los Angeles Clippers
Marc Gasol                              Memphis Grizzlies
Draymond Green                    Golden State Warriors

Eastern Conference Starters

PLAYER                                    TEAM

Kyrie Irving                            Cleveland Cavaliers
DeMar DeRozan                      Toronto Raptors
LeBron James                         Cleveland Cavaliers
Giannis Antetokounmpo        Milwaukee Bucks
Jimmy Butler                          Chicago Bulls

Eastern Conference Reserves

PLAYER                                    TEAM

John Wall                                 Washington Wizards
Isaiah Thomas                         Boston Celtics
Kyle Lowry                              Toronto Raptors
Kemba Walker                         Charlotte Hornets
Paul George                             Indiana Pacers
Kevin Love                              Cleveland Cavaliers
Paul Millsap                              Atlanta Hawks

How To Make The All-Star Weekend Even Better

Without question, neither of the three, All-Star guards (Curry, Harden, or Westbrook) deserves to be selected to the reserve squad. All three very-talented players are having phenomenal seasons for their teams. By sticking Westbrook in with the reserves, what it did actually was strengthen the reserve line-up.

After examining all of the roster line-ups, an idea suddenly dawned. If the NBA were to implement a playoff, say, the “starters” against the “reserves”, we would know without a doubt who the real starters should be. The two playoff games (four teams) would air on Saturday and on Sunday night, the real All-Star game would commence.

The interest level for such a profound match up is already intact. Revenue-wise, it would be a gold mine for both the NBA and for TNT. Competitively, you can throw exhibition out the window. No player wants to be a bench-warmer at the All-Star game. No true “starter” wants to be beat out by a “reserve” player.

Of course, all of this is surely just a pipe dream. It is far too much basketball for the players to have to endure, especially for exhibition. Besides, any bright ideas or fresh implementations wouldn’t be considered by the NBA until next season. If any changes were to be made, a play-off in the All-Star Weekend could never happen. Or could it? Fervent, money-spending fans will just have to wait and see.

 

Main Photo

James Harden Houston Rockets (Photo by Mark Downey Lucid Images/Corbis via Getty Images)

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