Under the current NBA All-Star Game format, 24 players are divided into teams of two, selected by the captains, who are each conference’s primary voters. Analyst Brian Windhorst recently shared that team governors are against expanding All-Star rosters because of bonuses tied to All-Star appearances.
Speaking on his podcast, Brian Windhorst and the Hoop CollectiveWindhorst said:
“I think they should go for a thirteenth player because there’s always a guy, usually there’s a guy, on each side who’s a bit stoned and doesn’t want to play as much or a veteran who doesn’t want to not play this I see no reason why the list should remain at twelve.
Windhorst continued:
“I know the reason, or one of the reasons, that it’s not happening is that there are bonuses in the contracts that are tied to All-Star appearances, and the owners are like, ‘why should I help you make an All-Star? -Star then you gotta get paid more money’. “I’m an All-Star now, you gotta pay me.”
“The owners pushed against that. They don’t want there to be an extra All-Star or more, but there should be a thirteenth All-Star on every team.”
While team governors may have arguments against expanding All-Star rosters, their reasoning doesn’t make much sense. Although several NBA players have All-Star bonuses tied to their contracts, most of these guys are All-Star locks signed for big-money expansions.
Additionally, bonuses are a small percentage of their annual salary, and if team governors deem a player to be a marginal All-Star, they may simply decline to include a draft-related bonus.
Watch Brian Windhorst discuss expanding the star roster below (from 51:45):
Should NBA All-Star Game rosters expand?
While the team governor’s reasoning against expanding NBA all-star rosters doesn’t make much sense, it’s fair to question the need for such an expansion. While there will always be players who feel like rebuffs, adding an additional All-Star spot won’t affect that. Typically, the twelve most deserving players from each conference make the All-Star list, which has been the case for decades.
As Windhorst pointed out, seemingly every year there are players who barely see the ground. Sometimes, however, it’s not a decision made by the player. Although expanding the roster would allow an additional player to fit into the game, it would also reduce the minutes of the twelve players who have previously made the squad.
Regardless of how the NBA looks at the matter, the All-Star Game will continue to entertain fans. As the game begins, fans are unlikely to think about the size of the roster or the players who are not on the squad.
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