All Star Game Somehow Takes Step Back in New Format

SAN FRANCISCO — Jayson Tatum snuck behind five defenders at the three-point line and dunked the game-winner to finish 9-for-11 in a performance that could’ve earned his second MVP award. Steph Curry earned it overwhelmingly, instead, shooting 4-for-8 from three in the finale and providing his vintage long range makes. His connection with the Warriors fans in the crowd, show-stopping style and host-worthy personality proved one of the few silver linings in an All Star Game that somehow took a step back from recent disappointments with a new format.

Players generally felt greater competition, defense and intensity in the games, but the defining headlines from the day had to make Adam Silver want to fall over. LeBron James opened the afternoon surprising fans and media with the news he would not play. Then, with Jaylen Brown and Tatum’s team off to an 11-1 start in the final round of the new All Star tournament, a routine timeout turned into a nearly 20-minute intermission that several of the players didn’t expect. It included an introduction for the LA All Star Game next year and a tribute to TNT’s Inside the NBA as it signs off with the network — despite previous news that it’ll return in some form.

“I don’t know if the rest of the other guys knew,” Brown said. “I didn’t know. So that took the gas out of everything for a little bit, but I know we’re just trying to be great professionals, do different things and explore how to keep generating viewership. Tonight was just trying to do something different.”

• While the stoppage defined the night, almost nothing went right. The format, while promising, blew up almost immediately with the realization that one-third of the all-stars would be off the floor within one half-hour of game action. Anthony Edwards didn’t enter the first matchup due to unknown injuries, knocking a second star out of the game who could’ve been replaced. The arbitrary 40-point target score made for games that seemingly wanted to end faster rather than be remembered.
• The backdrop didn’t help either. While the All Star Game was always going to happen in Chase Center, and the Warriors’ move from Oakland to San Francisco is a different story than this All Star Game, both issues met in a lifeless crowd that sat mostly empty 10 minutes before the night began. While the pregame show and festivities outside the building before an early local tip-off (5 p.m.) might’ve contributed to that, Sunday’s crowd closely resembled Saturday’s and Sunday’s — large gaps of open seats and little energy.
• The few events at the old Oracle Center featured a far more fervent atmosphere, flocks of children in Warriors jerseys, standing and screaming fans, and even sausage stands on the sidewalk outside making for a better atmosphere that the NBA missed out on aside from Saturday practice and Friday’s celebrity game.
• Back to the game itself — the inclusion of the Rising Stars seems almost inevitably destined to fade from future events. While it might’ve worked in a different season, namely last year behind Victor Wembanyama’s hype, this season’s young stars lacked the firepower or star power to meaningfully add to Sunday night. Stephon Castle, Zach Edey and Amen Thompson, added from a different, losing Rising Stars team to the All Star roster, kept the opening game against Brown, Tatum and company close until the veteran stars turned up late and ran away with the first round win, 41-32. The alternative, the G-Leaguers who lost in the Friday finale, featured Mac McClung and JD Davison as their lead guards.
• Speaking of McClung, a savior again on Saturday, his all-time dunk performance will become the lasting memory of this weekend. Some considered his car leap the greatest slam in the contest’s history, and while any indication that he could move Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant and other stars to perform next year should be met with skepticism, he at least breathed hope in the event’s continued relevance.
• The theatrics, namely Kevin Hart’s MC role, made an event that should survive on basketball exploits alone distracting, noisy and at times annoying. Maybe some liked the show TNT tried to build around the game. At least in the building, it badly took away from the it.
• The team names and associations held little significance or memorability. Why were the Inside the NBA personalities the coaches and roster namesakes? Brown and Tatum’s team featured the OGs, despite the two Celtics not entirely fitting the description. Same with the international team, who featured Donovan Mitchell. The third group looked like leftovers and that theme led to the eventual winners having a significantly better roster on paper even without James. That’s after you looked up who’s on what team for the fifth time.
• That lead us to the worst part. After Antetokounmpo and others pitched a USA vs. world format, admittedly a good idea, the whole game will almost certainly change again. It’s impossible to develop tradition and recognizability in the event with annual tweaks. East versus west was never a bad setup, the fantasy draft style that took hold for a few seasons created the Brown versus Tatum moment, one of the few legitimate memories from the past few All Star Games. The Elam ending finish and its Kobe Bryant tribute made for a spectacular finish. The games always at least ended well. This one just ended.

“I think the format was solid,” Damian Lillard said. “It would probably be more interesting, instead of the Rising Stars teams doing it, maybe the players with the next amount of votes … that got snubbed, maybe that next team of eight should include those guys … I’m a fan of the original way. East versus west. Just put more on the line. Heighten the incentives and just do east versus west … whatever it could be … whoever wins east versus west gets home court in the finals.”