Since 2018, the NBA All-Star Game has been played under a new format that sees team captains — usually Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and another superstar — draft their teams from the pool of selected starters and reserves. They’ve also introduced quarter-by-quarter winners as well as the Elam Ending.
All of these changes were made with the hope of increasing the competitiveness of what had become a relatively boring game in the final few years of the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format. In the final two years of that format, the Western Conference had won with a final score in the 190s.
The new format appeared to be working in the first few years of its introduction, but has since reverted back to its less-than-exciting affair. Now, a change might be coming once again.
This time, the change could be a return to form for the league, who is reportedly considering going back to the conference structure of the All-Star Game, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic:
NBA and NBPA agreed in recent months to have talks about increased competitiveness in the All-Star Game as part of new collective bargaining agreement, sources said. Changes could come for the 2023-24 season. https://t.co/gQHni8oBLb
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 19, 2023
At this point, it’s difficult to imagine exactly how a return to the original format would increase competitiveness, unless some new rewards or stakes are introduced. At one time in Major League Baseball, the league that won the All-Star Game would receive home-field advantage in the World Series.
All-Star Weekend as a whole is in serious need of a revamp, and maybe this will be the offseason that sees that goal achieved. That, plus the introduction of a mid-season tournament, will hopefully bring some emphasis and meaning back to the regular season, another looming issue in NBA circles.
Lakers secure No. 17 and No. 47 picks in draft
In other offseason news, the Lakers officially secured the No. 17 and No. 47 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. While this draft class is most famous for one of the greatest prospects in NBA history — Victor Wembanyama — it also figures to be a relatively deep class that could have some serious talent when the Lakers are on the clock.
It remains to be seen if the Lakers will use these draft picks or if they’ll make a trade that involves one or both selections. The Lakers have not kept a first-round pick since 2018, when they selected Mo Wagner with the No. 25 overall pick.
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