Stiles Points: Stop Complaining About the NBA All-Star Game

The NBA All-Star game is once again under fire for the lack of defense and effort being played, and it is time to stop complaining.

People love to complain, get mad, and try to fix things. So when the NBA All-Star game ends with a 211-186 final, it is easy for the masses to get up in arms about the format and even question if the event should continue. 

This is on the heels of Salt Lake City's Mid-Winter classic, which drew the iron of fans and media, sparking change to the format. With the league returning to the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format, even Commissioner Adam Silver expected a better product. He admitted as much in his annual All-Star press conference. 

"We returned to the East versus West format and the 48-minute game format because we thought what we were doing was not working. I'd say people uniformly were critical of last year's All-Star Game and felt it was not a competitive game. It was not a position held solely by the league. I think the players collectively recognized, as well, that it wasn't what they wanted to see, either, that they had not put their best foot forward. I'd say Andre Iguodala now, who is the executive director, former player, of the Players Association, shares that view." Said Silver on Saturday. 

The game was not more competitive this year, in fact, it arguably felt more like a joke. But that is okay. The reality is this is just supposed to be a fun event made for television, revenue-driving, and fans. This is not supposed to be some epic display of basketball fundamentals, defense, and a shining light to show why basketball is so great. 

That is the case for every single All-Star game in sports. None of the NFL Pro Bowl, the NHL All-Star Game, or the MLB All-Star Game matter in the grand scheme of things, so taking them too seriously leads to unneeded outrage. 

It is the All-Star Break; it is a fun weekend where you travel to a city with basically the entire league and have a three-day party. Just sit back and enjoy the 30-foot 3-pointers, the self alley-oop slams and the funny moments that happen in between.

While the format could use work, and ideally, the score is not 211-186, it truly does not matter in the long run. If you go to McDonald's expecting a steak, you are going to be disappointed.   

Stiles Points: 

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set a career-high in points in an All-Star game, going off for over 30 points in his first career start. Only to be outdone, but Karl Anthony-Towns shot chucking his way to 50 points off the bench. 
• Chet Holmgren inspired Gilgeous-Alexander to go off the backboard to himself and is considered a trendsetter for the move this season. 
• Sabrina vs Steph was the event of the weekend and should continue in the future. 
• Bill Walton made an appearance at All-Star Weekend, and as he and I shared a room, it was nice to be alongside the second biggest Grateful Dead fan in the building. 
• The buzz continues to grow around Gilgeous-Alexander, with many tabbing him as a potential next face of the league player, and for good reason.
• For all the talk on if the OKC Thunder superstar could translate his game to the NBA All-Star event, he certainly put up his traditional stat line, going for 31 points, four rebounds, six assists, and a steal. Banking in logo triples and catching lobs off the backboard to himself, that was quite the All-Star performance. 
• On the road again to God's Country (Lawton, Oklahoma, obviously), the best road trip activity is naming off early 2000s role players. Really it is great for any occasion. 

Song of the Day: Lovely Cruise by Jimmy Buffett

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