Why is the NBA All-Star draft private? - the game needs intrigue


Let's face it. The NBA All-star game has become boring. Showboating is rampant, and defense is virtually non-existent. Actually winning the game is far down the list of priorities, but winning the All-Star MVP trophy is high on the list.

Is everything about the game negative. No. Integrating the East and West teams is a great idea. No longer is it the Eastern Conference against the Western Conference. Great idea. I like the idea of the two top vote-getters being captains and drafting their own teams. The drama and intrigue would be a shot in the arm for the game, if fans ever got to know about it.


What makes the idea of a public draft so stimulating for NBA writers, broadcasters and fans is just the reason the NBA doesn't want it to happen. Cronyism, vendettas, favoritism and competitiveness all come into play. Lebron James gets the first pick in the first round of the draft. He must pick from the remaining 10 players voted as starters. Does he pick Kevin Durant, his main rival presently for best player in the League. Or does he take Kyrie Irving, the guy that, thankfully for Celtics fans, abandoned The King for greener pastures.


Another choice for Lebron would be Giannis Antetokounmpo, the guy many thought should be the top vote-getter in the East, and therefore the captain. Steph Curry gets the second pick. Does he take teammate, Kevin Durant, if still available or does he go with the big man, Anthony Davis? There is controversy about Joel Embiid as starter over Kristaps Porzingas. One of the biggest questions concerns the last kid picked in the first round. We are not talking about about a YMCA pickup game and the 5'4" kid that trips over his own feet here. These are well-paid pros. They can take it.


As Mark Van Deusen indicated in his tweet (seen top tweet), not televising the draft but allowing sports writers to witness it is a solid middle-ground. The best solution to a dilemma is often found somewhere between two extremes. Grey usually wins out over black or white. When we see the two teams take the court for the All-Star game, most of us would like to find out more about how these teams came to be. If there is drama and intrigue, let's hear about it! NBA players are human, just like the rest of us. If we are not going to be informed of the very-human process of the draft, let's put 10 robots out there next year and be done with it. Could be more exciting than what we are seeing now.

Follow Tom at @TomLaneHC

Photo via Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

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