OAKLAND, CA – FEBRUARY 15: Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns is introduced during a practice session … [+]
With the NBA’s 74th All-Star game – or, multiple games due to the strange format change – set to tip off Sunday, it’s worth pointing out there is still a minor problem with the All-Star selection process.
When the NBA announced the All-Star reserves on Jan. 30, it was a firm reminder of two things: We’re in the greatest era of basketball with the most star talent the league has ever featured, and it doesn’t make sense to stick with antiquated systems or ideas.
In short, it might be time to expand the All-Star rosters.
A brief rundown on how the reserves are selected: All 30 head coaches were asked to vote on the reserves, but were not allowed to cast votes for their own players. With the starters already revealed the week prior, that left seven open spots for both the Eastern and Western Conference, finalizing the 12-man rosters for each side.
Yes, tough choices have to be made when trimming a list of names down to 12 – and from what I’ve heard around NBA circles, most coaches don’t dedicate a lot of effort or brainpower to picking the reserves. Plus, how could you blame them? The NBA schedule takes a mental toll on everyone involved, and it’s not like there’s ample downtime between games. Usually, coaches are busy diving into film and preparing for their next opponent.
Still, it leaves a sour taste when all of Trae Young, Kyrie Irving, Devin Booker, Norman Powell, LaMelo Ball, and Domantas Sabonis aren’t recognized for having All-Star seasons.
Sure, Young and Irving ultimately got selected as injury replacements for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis, but it’s not guaranteed that stars will be injured every February.
With the NBA becoming a younger league and experiencing an influx of talent, why are we still selecting just 12 players from each conference? People around the league are wondering it, too.
The night before the All-Star selections were announced, I asked 18-year veteran Kevin Durant if the roster size made sense in today’s league.
To him, it’s an antiquated approach that might need some tweaking. He channeled his inner gamer for a moment, remembering how he always wishes there could be more players recognized when he’s leading a team in NBA 2K.
“When I’m playing 2K, they give you the option in MyGM mode to add two more slots to the All-Star team, and I choose that every time,” Durant said. “Because there should be 15 guys on the team. I mean, we get 15 on the (regular season) roster, so there should be 30 guys that make the (All-Star) game in my opinion. What is it now, 12? Yeah, I think we can add three more spots to each team.”
We’ve reached a point the modern NBA where veteran stars are benefiting from incredible longevity and it’s interfering with the younger stars on the rise. Pretty soon, the 20-year career is going to be the norm for superstar talents. If those guys continue to make All-Star teams deep into their thirties – which they likely will because of popularity – then it only hinders the younger generation from making the team and racking up early accolades.
“There’s so many great players going out there and impacting their teams in a positive way that will be snubbed,” he added. “There will always be snubs every year, but yeah, I think we should add three more (spots).”
To Durant’s point, NBA teams are allowed to carry 15 players on their roster during the regular season. While only 13 can be listed as active players for each game, the official roster count is still 15.
So, why should the All-Star teams be classified differently? It’s an arbitrary cutoff that doesn’t fit the current league.
Among the primary criticisms or push-backs for this idea is the lack of playing time for each additional reserve that makes the team. Considering the NBA adjusted this year’s All-Star format in such a dramatic way, adding six more players to the mix could complicate matters.
As it currently stands, the 24 All-Stars will be separated into three teams of eight. Those teams will be joined by a group of first and second-year players that wins the Rising Stars challenge. Then, a four-team tournament will take place on All-Star Sunday until a winner is crowned.
But if the All-Star format (which seemingly changes every year) is the only downside to opening the field to six more players, that’s not enough justification. If this new system draws more viewership and intrigue, they can figure out how to add more players (or another team) to the tournament. It would only make it better.
Regardless of how they do it, finding a way to celebrate more players for their accomplishments and lifting the game up should be a priority for the league office.
Instead of trying to fix what’s not broken – such as the length of quarters and shot selection around the league – perhaps the league executives should listen to some of the current superstars.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – FEBRUARY 13: Norman Powell #24 of the LA Clippers drives into John Collins … [+]
Norman Powell is a prime example of someone having an All-Star caliber season that won’t have that honor attached to his résumé.
Powell not being selected is, quite literally, unprecedented based on his current production for the LA Clippers. In NBA history, there have been 50 instances of a player averaging at least 24 points per game on 63% true shooting or higher.
Among those 50 seasons, 49 of them led to All-Star selections. Powell was the only one who didn’t make it. The lone player since 1967, the first time anyone (Wilt Chamberlain) hit those marks.
Powell is on track to become the first player in history to increase their scoring by 10 points per game after age 30, a testament to his evolution as a player and refusal to stay complacent. Those type of seasons should be honored, especially if he’s stacking up nicely with his All-Star peers.
Domantas Sabonis is another questionable exclusion. Although the Sacramento Kings are only one game above .500, Sabonis is having an even greater season than last year – when he also narrowly missed the All-Star team.
Sabonis not only leads the NBA in rebounding percentage, but he has more than doubled his 3-point volume from last season and become a marksman from that range. He’s among the top 10 of catch-and-shoot efficiency since increasing his usage, which has translated to him being the most efficient 20-point per game scorer in basketball.
There’s really no world in which Powell or Sabonis should’ve been left off the All-Star squads. But, that’s the unfortunate reality when there’s only 24 selections and the talent pool continues to grow deeper.
Adam Silver and the league office might need to consider Durant’s point of view and add All-Star roster expansion to their list of possible changes for 2026 and beyond.
