To me all All Star games have morphed into events that are never "Must See". They all have major issues that make the games relative jokes and if I have anything better to do than the games shall be bypassed. The NFL and NHL are sports that are built too solidly around contact for any of the athletes to want to play full speed. The NFL additionally suffers from a mass pullout from some of their Superstars that frankly don't give a damn about the game as well as a list of plays so simple a 3rd grade pop warner player could learn them in a week. Major League baseball teams would never agree to the All Star game using just one ace starter for more than 2 innings and no All Star manager would ever just utilize his 9 starting fielders throughout the entirety of the game thus insulting the remainder of the huge roster he has at his hands.. Of the 4 Major Sports All Star games just one truly has the potential to truly show off the best of the best in a showdown without any limitations. The NBA All Star game has all the chance in the world to show off the best of the best playing in a serious game, if only the stars actually cared and actually tried. Just think about the limitations of the other games. The NBA is a physical game, but it's not centered around physicality and eliminating cheap shots and blatant hard fouls would not take away from the play. The NBA game is mid-season so unlike the NFL Pro Bowl players are still in mid-season mind set and not ready to enjoy the offseason. The NBA game is built on constant substitution, an All-Star game coach can easily utilize every player on his roster for at least some minutes and not decrease the level of his squads play.
The NBA All Star game functions outside the limitations of the other games, it's only limitation is the mindset of the athletes themselves. The NBA All Star frankly does not care that much about winning or losing this game. If the All Stars truly cared than this game would not lack the one thing always absent, defense. The NBA All Star game is full of highlight dunks and highlight passes because nobody ever truly tries on defense. The end result is a combined score that's usually around 270+. Instead of a competitive game where athletes have fire and a will to win, the game ends up with laughter and guys clowning around up and down the court.
Oh NBA, you truly could put on one of the best showcases in the world of sports. The 24 best basketball players in the world playing the hardest at all times would amount to a game that I would have to watch, a game that I would refuse to miss. Unfortunately this effort is not what we get, so come Sunday Night when the game is being played I'll likely be doing something better with my time.
Comments