All the talk after the NBA All-Star Game was if the new mini-tournament format is a keeper. A lot of players and coaches seem to think not. But some are actually for it, including a couple of members of the Cavaliers.
Darius Garland is not among them. Instead, the Cavs star point guard joined those who say they prefer the East-West format that’s been traditionally utilized.
“But who am I to say?” Garland told Tim Botemps of ESPN, laughing. “I’m a two-time All-Star, so I ain’t got no say in that.”
Meanwhile, Cavs teammate Evan Mobley indicated he was fine with the setup used Sunday in San Francisco.
“Honestly, it was pretty fun out there,” Mobley said. “I feel like it was a little more competitive. I feel like if the game was a little closer, it would probably be even more competitive, but it was a different game. But I feel like as it keeps going, I think it’s going to be a good thing for the league.”
Meanwhile, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson was the mini-tourney winning coach and said he too was OK with that.
“I liked it,” he said. “It’s much better. It wasn’t a layup drill.”
Next year’s NBA All-Star Game will be hosted by the Clippers and held at their new arena in Inglewood, California. After that, the Suns get the game. How it will be played and in what format is anyone’s guess at the moment.
As for the Cavaliers (44-10), there are 28 games to go in the regular season, starting Thursday on the road against Brooklyn. They return home to face fellow Eastern Conference power New York the next night.
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