All-Star Game Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Adam Silver Discusses Rest Issue, 2019 ASG, Dolan

April 7th, 2017 at 3:20pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke today at the league’s Board of Governors meetings about a few items of interest, including the subject of teams resting healthy stars, which he called the most important issue facing the league at the moment (Twitter link via Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today).

According to Silver, the NBA hopes to avoid having teams play four games in five nights next season and will also aim to further reduce back-to-backs in general (Twitter links via Frank Isola of The New York Daily News and Zillgitt).

Noting that the issue is a “complex” one, Silver added that owners agreed teams should avoid resting multiple players during nationally televised games, and the league’s preference is to rest players for home games rather than road contests (Twitter link via Howard Beck of Bleacher Report).

Adjusting the 82-game schedule is one potential idea that has been thrown out as a potential solution to the issue of teams resting players. While Silver acknowledged that it’s possible the league, at some point, could come together and agree to reduce the number of regular season games, that’s not on the table for now and wasn’t discussed this week (Twitter link via Isola). The commissioner pointed out that there’s also no hard data indicating that slashing a few games from the schedule would help improve players’ health or eliminate the rest issue (Twitter link via Beck).

The rest issue wasn’t the only one addressed by Silver, who also said that Charlotte is back in the running to potentially host the 2019 NBA All-Star Game. Per the commissioner, North Carolina’s adjustments to the so-called “bathroom bill” don’t entirely resolve the league’s concerns, but Charlotte will still receive strong ASG consideration (Twitter link via Chris Mannix of The Vertical). The Hornets issued a statement this afternoon expressing enthusiasm about the possibility of hosting the 2019 contest.

Finally, Silver also discussed Knicks owner James Dolan, who recently had a verbal altercation with a fan who told him he should sell the franchise. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com details, the commissioner didn’t seem particularly concerned and didn’t suggest the league would get involved. Dolan “is as frustrated as any Knicks fan” with the state of the team, Silver said (Twitter link via Isola).

North Carolina May Repeal ‘Bathroom Bill’

March 29th, 2017 at 10:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

North Carolina may get rid of the controversial “bathroom bill” that resulted in this year’s All-Star Game being pulled out of Charlotte, according to Reuters.

Members of the state’s Republican-controlled legislature said tonight that they have reached a deal to repeal HB2, which bars transgender people from choosing which restroom to use based on their gender identities. A vote on the repeal measure is set for Thursday morning.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the decision to move this year’s All-Star festivities to New Orleans, but said giving Charlotte the 2019 game would be a “high priority” if the law were removed.

“The issues that we are primarily focused on are those of acceptance and inclusiveness — and the bill goes far beyond directing what bathrooms people should use,” Silver said when the decision was announced in October. “From that standpoint, it has been misrepresented. Ultimately for us, it’s about creating the right environment, specifically for a celebratory event like our All-Star game.”

And-Ones: All-Star Game Changes, Teague, MSG

March 5th, 2017 at 9:49pm CST by Austin Kent

Changes to the All-Star Game are on the horizon, writes Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently spoke about the mid-season festivities at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

“We will change it by next year,” Silver said. “It shouldn’t be playoff intensity, but the guys should be playing.”

The commissioner speculated that the game could include four-point shots, perhaps even a ten-point shot, although there’s no guarantee those are in fact changes being floated. Regardless, one theme that appears likely to change is the lack of competitiveness that has taken away from the games in recent years.

“In an All-Star game like this, guys aren’t trying to get hurt,” guard Kyrie Irving said following this year’s All-Star Game. “We all enjoy the company of each other’s presence. But at the same token, us as competitors, when it starts getting close, you can feel it. For me, I would love to play in a competitive game.”

Count Warriors head coach Steve Kerr among those disappointed in the competitiveness of the All-Star Game. “I think we could talk about gimmicks and talk about anything we want, whether it’s the money or involves charity, it just comes down to the players taking it seriously,” Kerr told Chris Haynes of ESPN. “I don’t think they have to be out there taking charges, but it’s a collective thing. I think they have to decide, maybe with the players’ association, they have to decide what they want that game to look like, and right now, it’s a joke.”
The D-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants have acquired former NBA player Marquis Teague, Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports reports. Teague last played in the NBA for the Nets in 2013/14.
The Knicks experimented with cutting out the in-game music during the first half of Sunday’s game against the Warriors, tweets Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, Draymond Green was not a fan. “That was pathetic,” Green said. “It was ridiculous.”

Adam Silver Talks League Strategy, Owners, All-Star Game

March 3rd, 2017 at 8:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Commissioner Adam Silver sat down with Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com during this year’s MIT Sloan Conference to discuss the league and its surrounding environment. Hoops Rumors was among the media in attendance at the event.

The NBA is more popular now than ever before. Commissioner Adam Silver talked about a time when businessman looking to buy a franchise would tell him and former commissioner David Stern that they really wanted an NFL team, but none were available, so they’d settle for an NBA franchise. Now, nearly every prospective buyer has a singular focus on owning an NBA team.

There are clear differences between the owners of the different North American leagues. NBA owners are typically more open to innovation than those in the NFL. Silver wouldn’t talk at length about the other sports leagues, but he did admit that there may be something about the sport of basketball that attracts a “certain type of owner.” The NBA is more receptive to analytics than the typical NFL franchise. Silver said it’s because the league has “two generations of owners.” He calls one group the Leslie Alexander-types: those who used analytics outside of sports world to create their wealth. The other group consists of the Mark Cuban-types: those who grew up understanding the value of analytics and innovation.

The league’s adoption of social media has created relevance among the NBA owners, Silver said. Basketball is a team sport, but its players’ individualities popularize the league. “We have lots of content for fans [that the players provide],” Silver said.

Sending content directly to consumers carries the risk of presenting the wrong message. The league helps players manage their social media accounts at the rookie camps. Silver said the league is “a little bit more than laissez-faire,” adding that he “encourages [the players] to be authentic.”

That’s not to say the league doesn’t step in if a player missuses social media. ‘There are certain lines you can’t cross,” Silver said. “It’s not like you get sent to the principal’s office…but, we have a conversation with the player.” He added that “for the most part, we tell [the players] to have fun.”

Before the social media age, players who were in bigger markets had advantages when it came to marketing. Players can now reach a global audience regardless of where they play. “It’s an equalizer among markets,” Silver said. He noted that Kevin Durant had more money in endorsement deals than any player on the Warriors last season. According to Silver, marketing executives no longer urge players to choose the bigger city, instead, they tell the players that winning drives sales and popularity.

That’s a topic that played a role in recent CBA negotiations. There were discussions about axing the league’s maximum salary rule, something that would put pressure on the star players to take less because it would be hard to put together a winning team while using upwards of 70-80% of your cap on one star player. Imagine LeBron James as a free agent in a real free market; he theoretically could command nearly 100% of the cap.

Having the max contract keeps a harmonious relationship between NBA clubs and their star players. For example, the highest paid player on the Lakers isn’t going to gripe to ownership that the highest paid player on the Clippers is making more than him. With restrictions in place, teams are able to give a player the maximum and it won’t create hostility in the relationship.

The league wants to incentivise players to stay with their incumbent teams in free agency. The new CBA will implement the Designated Veteran contracts that will allow teams to pay their own players more than rival teams can. Durant’s decision to spurn Oklahoma City certainly played a role in the new role, but Silver was quick to say that Durant “didn’t do anything wrong.”

He’s right, but that doesn’t mean the league shouldn’t make changes. In fact, Silver thinks the league should be more innovative in regards to changing the rules. “Historically, we’ve been too conservative with making changes,” Silver said.

Change is hard for many people, including those in the basketball world. Many people opposed the Hack-A-Shaq rule that disincentivizes teams from fouling in the last two minutes of a game. Silver said that high school coaches would write him letters, pleading for him not to make the change for fear that high schoolers would no longer practice foul shots. Silvers responded the same way he does when players show concern: “Don’t take any of this for granted…the world is changing around us.”

Changes in the All-Star game are coming. Silver said Chris Paul reached out to him to try to find a solution that makes the game more competitive and the league intends to implement the changes by next season.

Something we won’t see: the league vetoing a trade. Silver was asked if he ever considers stepping in when one team is giving up too much or not enough in a transaction and he was firm in his response. “The answer is the league cannot” Silver said, while adding that all league trades get approved in terms of financials and players passing physicals. Silver was adamant that the league doesn’t “weigh in from a quantitive standpoint.”

Stay tuned to Hoops Rumors for more coverage from the MIT Sloan Conference.

Cavs Notes: Shumpert, James, Irving, Carmelo Anthony Rumors

February 19th, 2017 at 5:21pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Cavs haven’t completely closed the door on Carmelo Anthony. According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, the Cavs are exploring “the very slight possibility” of acquiring ‘Melo by the Feb. 23 deadline. Vardon also notes the likelihood of Cleveland acquiring Shelvin Mack– a move not aimed at postseason depth, but helping rest LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as the season winds down.

While the Cavs hold “basement-level low” expectations of completing a deal for Anthony, the Knicks could consider offers for lesser players in an attempt to move him by the deadline.

Blazers Duo, Embiid Fail To Make All-Star Cut

January 26th, 2017 at 6:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, the Blazers backcourt duo Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and Jazz center Rudy Gobert were among the prominent players who failed to make the cut on the Western Conference All-Star reserve unit, which was unveiled on Thursday and relayed on the NBA’s Twitter feed. Joel Embiid, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony were some of the notable names who didn’t make the cut on the Eastern Conference squad. (Twitter links).

Russell Westbrook, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan and Gordon Hayward received the most votes by the conference’s coaches, who pick the reserves. Westbrook, of course, was the biggest snub among the All-Star starters as the fan voting, which counted for 50% toward the overall balloting, put him behind Stephen Curry and James Harden.

Paul George, Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap, Isaiah Thomas, Kemba Walker and John Wall were named the Eastern Conference’s All-Star reserves.

Did the coaches get it right or was there an obvious mistake on their part? Go to the comments section and weigh in.

Westbrook Tops Snub List Among All-Star Starters

January 19th, 2017 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Triple-double machine Russell Westbrook, the league’s leading scorer, will not be among the Western Conference starters for next month’s All-Star Game in New Orleans. The league’s Twitter feed unveiled the starters for each conference, and the Thunder superstar lost out in the balloting to Stephen Curry and James Harden (Twitter links).

As ESPN.com’s Rachel Nichols points out, the fan voting counts for 50%, while the players’ votes weigh in at 25%, as does the media vote under the revised system. According to NBC’s Kurt Helin, Westbrook missed out because the fans had him third among Western Conference guards behind Curry and Harden.

Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant will comprise the starting frontcourt for the West.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler and LeBron James were selected as the frontcourt starters for the Eastern Conference. DeMar DeRozan and Kyrie Irving were chosen as the starting backcourt.

It’s a breakthrough for Antetokounmpo, who will be making his first All-Star appearance. Arguably the biggest snub on the Eastern Conference side was Celtics point man Isaiah Thomas, the fourth-leading scorer in the league and the conference’s top scorer.

Do you think Westbrook should have garnered a starting spot ahead of Curry or Harden? Besides Westbrook, which other player has the biggest beef about failing to land a starting spot in the league’s annual showcase event? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts.