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NBA: 4 changes Adam Silver should make to improve league

By Michael Burke

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver addresses the crowd before the start of the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver addresses the crowd before the start of the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 16, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Eastern Conference forward Carmelo Anthony (7) of the New York Knicks, forward LeBron James (6) of the Miami Heat and forward Chris Bosh (1) of the Miami Heat talk before the 2014 NBA All-Star Game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Eastern Conference forward Carmelo Anthony (7) of the New York Knicks, forward LeBron James (6) of the Miami Heat and forward Chris Bosh (1) of the Miami Heat talk before the 2014 NBA All-Star Game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

2. All-Star Weekend? No. All-Star Break:

It’s almost shameful what All-Star Weekend has become in recent years.

The Saturday night festivities are highlighted by the Slam Dunk Contest, but each of the last three dunk contests have been littered with non-stars and mostly non-entertaining dunks. Last year’s change of format — a sorry attempt to save the dunk contest — only made it less watchable.

The All-Star Game, a meaningless exhibition, isn’t much better. The alley-oops, the flashy passing, the sheer displays of athleticism — it’s all fun. But the defense, or lack thereof, is hard to stomach.

Here’s what I propose: Instead of stopping the season only for All-Star Weekend, make it a three-week break. This gives the league a nicely-sized window for the midseason tournament, which I suggest should be a 64-team, single-elimination knockout tournament featuring all 30 NBA teams, the 18 D-League Teams, and 16 teams from across the globe.

Start the tournament on a Sunday, with the championship on a Friday night — that’s 20 days, meaning no team would have to play more than six times in a 20-day span. Award the winners of the tournament — assuming it would be won exclusively by NBA teams — the 31st pick (the first pick of the second round) of that year’s draft. It’s perfect: teams will have an incentive to try to win the tournament, and the players — even the ones on the teams that advance to the tournament championship — will get the better part of three weeks off.

Then, before the NBA regular season resumes, conclude the three-week period with a traditional All-Star Weekend. Keep the dunk contest, but mandate that only All-Stars participate and renew the old format.

And rather than an All-Star Game on Sunday night, I propose a 3-on-3 tournament among the All-Stars. Let the fans vote for 24 All-Stars —  the top eight vote-getters are team captains and get to draft their squads. The player with the eighth-most votes picks first, the player with the seventh-most votes picks second, and so on.

Eight teams of three in a bracket-style tournament means seven three-on-three games in total. These games would run much quicker than regular NBA games (perhaps they could consist of eight minute quarters and a running clock), which would in turn make it possible for the tournament to be played out completely in one evening.

Will this ever happen? Probably only in my wildest of dreams. But, like I said, I can dream.

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