Steve Kerr, Warriors Discuss NBA All-Star Game's Quality of Play, Solutions

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Friday the NBA is planning on changing the format of the 2018 All-Star Game following an underwhelming 2017 showcase, but Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes first and foremost the players need to adjust how they approach the midseason exhibition.  

Speaking exclusively to ESPN.com's Chris Haynes, Kerr called competitiveness in the All-Star setting "a joke" while suggesting players have to amp up the intensity to engender change: 

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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. 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.

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Kerr later called the game "embarrassing" after he got a front row seat to the proceedings as head coach of the Western Conference All-Stars last month. 

"In my mind, what’s happened is everybody is trying to be so cool out there that you almost feel guilty if you play hard," Kerr said, per Haynes. "Maybe the best thing to do will be to watch a tape of an All-Star Game from about 1985, because it was a different game back then."

Kerr also suggested the level of effort is currently "like at 10 percent" and needs to be amped up closer to 75 percent. 

Speaking at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston on Friday, Silver told a panel the NBA "will change it by next year" and could tinker with adding new tactical elements to the All-Star Game. 

"You hear people talking about 4-point shots, something that's not about to happen in the NBA, but maybe in an All-Star Game," Silver said, per the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds. "Maybe there's a few spots on the floor where it's a 4-point shot. Maybe there's a halfcourt shot in the last minute that's 10 points. I don't know. Those are crazy ideas."

As far as changing players' approaches to the game, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson both suggested players would be more motivated if bigger monetary incentives were tied to winning. 

"Raise the money," Green told Haynes. "I'm serious. That’s how you’re going to make it more competitive."

The NBA could conceivably choose to implement shots with higher point values, but experimental changes in that regard would figure to yield more significant gains when it comes to split-second entertainment rather than overall competitiveness. 

And considering the Association has a history of collaborating with players, both sides would benefit from a sitdown as they attempt to restore All-Star Game glory in 2018.