The NBA must do something about the Sunday All Star Game, as in something that makes it interesting to fans and players. The scoring binge I watched disgusted last night was, in my opinion, the worst performance of many recent years of All Star Sunday performances.
That said, I completely understand the players refusal to play tough Defense. I believe fans understand this too. If not, they should. To risk hurting themselves in a game that has nothing to do with the regular season is stupid. There is plenty of wringing of hands over this problem. So, what's to be done? But before we tackle this question, let's look at the earlier events.
The Rising Stars Game on Friday night was okay because the players played enough Defense that the game did not turn into a shooting contest. Drives were somewhat contested. Guys shot with hands in their faces. I like the tournament approach. The final game looked like the teams wanted to win. The winners' celebration looked unscripted. A tournament format would not work for the Sunday All Star Game. If I were the NBA, I'd bring back the Old Timers Game to preface the Rising Stars game. It would be a nice contrast. From the way Rick Barry looks, I bet at close to 80, he still might be able to play some minutes. How about getting Reggie Miller back on the court. For a fun gimmick, how about an old timer vs a new timer free throw shooting contest?
Moving on to Saturday Night's Extravaganza:
The skills contest needs to be a more interesting tests of a players' handle, Dribbling around cones, taking layups? There needs to be something along the line of through the legs, spin passes. Look-away passes. Baseball passes full-court to cutters, Think Pistol Pete, White Chocolate. That said, Saturday's contests won the weekend award for most engaging and fun to watch. The Dunk Contest still needs the best NBA dunkers. Where was Jonathon Kuminga, for example. There are other high flyers that don't want to participate. The League needs to figure out how to make it more enticing. So, McClung saved the day. He was once again fabulous. He should be allowed to compete next year for a third try. I don't think other G League guys should be allowed to compete unless they have been signed to an actual NBA roster. The Steph vs Ionescu contest was brilliant. A WNBA vs NBA contest should be a future from now on. Also, how about a free throw shooting contest. Four standards at each end. Who can make the most free throws in a row without a miss. No time limit. Lots of tension as, say, two players have missed and drop out, two remaining shooting, the announcer counting.
Moving on to Sunday:
The NBA finally has to admit the Sunday's game is not really a game. There is NO DEFENSE, so it can't be called a competition. No one is competing. It is finally a test of offensive skills, windmill dunks included. Well, then, let's make it more of a strategic shooting test: 1) Create a 4 point line. 2) Create two 5 point boxes where the half-court line meets the sideline. Reduce layup and dunk points to one. How about a running hook shot for three points. Change the concept of Defense for the All Star Game from obstruction to distraction. Also, get back to the quarter point format. I can imagine players practicing running hook shots and five point shots during the summer. I can see coaches thinking about when best to take the five point shot or how best to utilize the layup or dunk as opposed to the higher valued shots.
As is commonly heard in our conversations these days, "You see what I'm saying?"
Lots of talk these days about injuries and the NBA League's 65 game rule. Here's a old school poem about injuries:
Spit On It By Tom Meschery
he came up lame and wished for a miracle
that never happened. All season
he limped, but sucked it up the way
the older boys said he must to be a man
and not a pussy, a dictum he carried
with him into other sports and into life.
Today, he hears on television that so and so
won’t play because of a bruised knee
or a sore shoulder or ankle, and he hears
his high school coach yelling, “Spit on it!”
which never worked. Or did it? He recalls
the passage from the Bible where Jesus cures
blindness by mixing mud with his saliva
and rubbing it into the blind man’s eyes.
Scientists have proven saliva contains
a healing agent called histatin. As for mud,
who knows? So, he does not complain
that his knees throb or his fingers
are arthritic, or raising his right arm
causes him to grit his teeth. He sucks it up,
spits and rubs. He says it seems to help.
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