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The NBA has made a slight tweak to its annual All-Star Draft. In previous years, the draft has come weeks earlier than the All-Star Game, permitting gamers and followers to know who was enjoying for which workforce effectively prematurely. That’s going to vary this season. The league introduced on TNT Tuesday that this season, the draft will probably be held dwell at 7:30 p.m. ET, simply forward of tipoff of the Feb. 19 All-Star Game.
The mechanics of the draft will not change. The two captains would be the participant from every convention that receives essentially the most fan votes. Right now, these gamers are LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Those gamers will then draft 4 different starters every from the designated pool of starters adopted by seven reserves every from the designated pool of 14 reserves. Coaches will probably be assigned prematurely, with the No. 1 seeded coach in every convention becoming a member of the captain from their corresponding convention.
The change provides a little bit of drama to the proceedings. While the draft has beforehand served as a enjoyable occasion weeks prematurely, doing it on the day of the All-Star Game may really create a little bit of dangerous blood among the many gamers proper earlier than they should take the ground. Now, the gamers who’re picked final must play by means of that embarrassment instantly.
In the top, it is only a minor tweak to a comparatively new occasion. It’s unclear what preceded the choice, although one risk is the uncomfortable second ultimately yr’s draft through which Durant, as one of many captains, refused to draft James Harden, who his Brooklyn Nets traded away earlier that day. Regardless, the NBA has proven willingness lately to tweak the All-Star components to assist discover what works. If this alteration proves useful, it should final into future seasons.
