NBA again left seeking solutions after uncompetitive All-Star Game

INDIANAPOLIS — After months of emphasizing the importance of having a more competitive product on the court for this weekend's All-Star Game, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver doubled down on his efforts Saturday night , saying, “I think we're going to see a good game” at the NBA's annual midseason showcase at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.

But after the 73rd All-Star Game, last year's lackluster performance in Salt Lake City looked exactly like it – the Eastern Conference setting the all-time scoring record by becoming the first team to surpass 200 points in what was ultimately a 211-186 victory. During the Western Conference, Silver's annoyance with what happened was clearly visible.

“And among the Eastern Conference All-Stars, you scored the most points,” Silver said flatly. “Well…congratulations.”

It was a fitting end to an evening that did nothing to stop chatter about what the future of the NBA's midseason marquee event should look like. The NBA has thrown its weight behind making the game a priority for its players throughout the season, with Silver and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations -ball, repeatedly stating that it was a priority for players to show some sort of effort.

Instead, it was another game with virtually no effort on defense and little to no life inside the building – to the point where Anthony Davis said he thought his most memorable moment was when the hyped Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers teams came through. their dunk routines between the third and fourth quarters.

“I think the best [moment], we were talking about it, were the Bulls and Pacers dunkers,” Davis said. “With the trampoline? They were very, very impressive.”

And, ultimately, that left things exactly where they were a year ago: As the NBA threw up its hands over the fact that this weekend, one of the marquee events on its calendar went ended with a thud, and the players all but universally admitted that they sympathize with everyone involved, but that it's not as simple a solution as just deciding to play a little harder.

“I think it's something we have to figure out,” said LeBron James, who set a new record with his 20th appearance in the All-Star Game on Sunday night but did not play in the second half due to injury. 'a hesitant left ankle. “Obviously, from a player's point of view, it's fun to go up and down. But at the end of the day, our competitive nature doesn't like to have a smooth score like that.

“But I think the good thing that came out of tonight was that no players were hurt, and everyone came out unscathed or how they were before the game started. So that's a deeper conversation.”

“Obviously the fans and the league and everyone wants to be competitive, but you also, as players, think about trying not to get hurt,” Davis said. “Obviously, injuries are part of the game and no one wants to get hurt in the All-Star Game…all these guys here are very valuable to their teams. So it's mixed emotions. You're trying to go for it. and compete a little bit, and not just be a show stopper. But at the same time, do you really want to see someone go down for a dunk and someone's going to contest it and, God forbid, something happens in the All-Star A game when it could have been avoided?

Then there was Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who admitted he wasn't interested in playing that hard in an All-Star Game, period.

“For me, it's an All-Star Game, so I'll never consider it super competitive. It's still fun. I don't know what they can do to make it more competitive. I don't know .I think everyone watches it…it's a break, so I don't think everyone wants to come here and compete.”

This has been evident in recent years – a trend that is not isolated to the NBA, as the NHL, NFL and Major League Baseball have all seen sweeping changes to their own All-Star events over the last decade to try to add spice and competition.

The NBA, however, was certainly more vocal than any of those leagues about the importance of this change – and no one was louder than Silver himself.

And, following another failed attempt to change that, it's unclear which direction he and the league will take things from here.

“There were certainly [discussions about the game being more competitive]” said Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown. “I'm not sure how successful this was, but there were certainly discussions. I guess guys are trying to figure out how to do this while having fun, being safe, and not getting hurt.

“I guess other solutions need to be found to figure this out”