The NBA has recently been deviating from its traditional All-Star format. More specifically, this is the second consecutive year where changes were implemented to these games. Last season, the association put changes into its voting system for the All-Stars by, according to website official.nba.com, “reducing fan voting totals to 50 percent in All-Star starter results [and] giving both the players and media a 25 percent share of the vote.” Though these changes will continue to appear next season, some changes have still stood unaltered. The process for determining the All-Star head coaches, for example, has remained unchanged. These head coaches are still, cited by website cbssports.com, selecting the “14 reserves, voting for two guards, three frontcourt players and two players at any position in their respective conferences.”

Changes to the long-established All-Star format have surfaced in what some may call a “late response” to the vast talent discrepancy and imbalance with the East and West. Statistically-speaking, the West has beaten the East six out the last eight times, and, if no changes were to be placed for this season, the West will in no doubt be in favor for another sweep. The NBA’s decision may have also been a response to the many dominant East All-Stars that have recently joined play in the Western teams, such as Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and Jimmy Butler. On this possible reasoning, Junior Saisaran Kidambi adds,”Since five Eastern Conference All-Stars moved West and only two moved to the East, there would be many undeserving players making the All-Star team in the East because of the lack of talent.”

In short, the new format allows selected team captains to draft the rest of their team, regardless of conference affiliation. This format completely breaks shift of the game’s lack of competitiveness and incites far greater opportunities for the players. Furthermore, the competitiveness on the new format will unequivocally excite more fans all around the globe. We could see players like Kevin Durant and LeBron James playing on the same team. Or we may even see players like Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving drafted together. These possibilities will bring so much more amusement to the games, apart from the previous games feeling rather anticipated and mundane.

The 2018 NBA All-Star game, as stated previously, will mark the NBA’s first All-Star Game without a match-up and separate draft between the Eastern and the Western Conferences. This change is especially relevant and essential to the current system, as the games seem to feel less entertaining to watch after each successive season. Hopefully, this change will effectively retrieve positive response from the fans and instigate more excitement to the future games.