Opinion: Here are some ideas to make the All-Star Game more interesting

¿What happened to the discussion about making the All-Star more impactful? It seemed like only a few years ago when NBA commissioner Adam Silver proposed playing a mini-tournament for a playoff spot during All-Star weekend but now nobody seems to want to up the stakes. 

As a result, we will probably see the same thing we see every year during the All-Star Game. Spectacular offense, but barely any defense, and players that are more interested in getting the game over with than in actually competing. 

Looking at it, It is understandable that the League would not want to try something new this year, with the unpredictability of COVID-19. 

However, since we can still speculate on ways to make the game more interesting for hardcore fans, here are some ideas to do just that. 

Giving an advantage to the winning conference in the Playoffs

This one is quite tricky. The advantage given would have to be impactful enough so that the players strive for it but not so overwhelming that it invalidates the effort of an entire season. 

¿Our idea? The winning conference could have an extra timeout for their games during the first round of playoffs. This is minor enough so that it doesn’t break the balance between east and west, but important for coaches and players to get that extra bit of tactical advantage and rest during the first round. Most importantly, it doesn't affect the losing conference at all. 

Changing the format of the game

Last year’s All-Star changed the format a bit so that players had to score a set amount of points to win. While we think that this is a step in the right direction, a radical change in the format wouldn’t be hated by hardcore fans and could create more competition. 

¿What about benching players that get scored on, “streetball” style? This would both encourage better defense from the stars and allow more players to shine during the event. Plus, 
it would be quite fun to see NBA stars scramble to not get eliminated.  We think it would make for a quite unique event, maybe even allowing the players to express themselves in a more relaxed format. 

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Creating alternate jerseys for the players that win the event

If there is something that NBA fans love more than the game, is merchandise. Creating an official alternate set of jerseys for the stars that win the event would not only be a source of extra revenue for the league, but a source of pride for the players and joy for the fans. Jersey designers could let their imaginations run wild in these, and they would make for a truly unique bit of merchandise.