The 2018 All-Star Game will be introducing a new format where the teams are comprised of players chosen by two captains, one from each conference. An All-Star draft is a made for television idea, but commissioner Adam Silver continues to stick to his resolve and not televise the draft.
Silver, with the players’ approval, is choosing to host a private draft instead. Much to the chagrin of fans and pundits, the commissioner reiterated the decision during a press conference before the 2018 NBA London Game.
Following from NBC Sports:
“Should there be a public selection? Now, I get it. Yes, it would be more fun if we had that kind of draft. On the other hand, I recognize that in picking a team to perform in the here and now, it’s a little different than drafting, where you’re selecting players for the long-term. Because, in picking a team, you want guys that are going to complement each other. And I think there was a sense from the players that it put them in an impossible position, where they’re picking one player over another – in part, not because they necessarily think that player is better than another player, maybe because they have a personal relationship with the player, or they think that player would be a better complement to the players, and that, invariably, if they just did it as a pure draft, guys would say, Oh, I can’t believe such and such was selected before that player.”
Silver did acknowledge that he is aware the high probability that draft order will make its way to the Media. Silver also noted that in his choosing to keep the draft order a secret, he is working toward making the All-Star game better than before.
“The goal was to improve the All-Star game, not put a cherry on top of the cake.”
