Suns' Devin Booker right about expanding NBA All-Star rosters after snub
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker sounded off about the NBA All-Star Game on Friday, telling reporters he thinks the league needs to expand rosters beyond the 12 they already have.
According to ESPN's Tim McMahon, Booker believes the NBA should expand their rosters to 15 to match current league roster sizes.
"I think there's enough talented guys out here that are deserving," Booker said, "I mean, you look at Kyrie [Irving], Norman Powell, those guys are having unbelievable, efficient years and winning games. And on the East, I'm sure there's guys too like Trae [Young] and LaMelo [Ball] that are just putting up unheard-of numbers. So the more talent in there, the better I think."
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While the timing of Booker expressing his beliefs on All-Star roster expansion is incredibly funny--now that you don't make the team, suddenly the rosters need to expand--the Suns star does have a cogent point here.
Giving the NBA 15 players per conference in the All-Star Game makes perfect logical sense. It matches the NBA's actual roster size (which is what the 12 was supposed to be in the first place), and allows more stars the chance to showcase their skills in a fun exhibition on a national stage.
When guys like Irving, or Kings stars De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, or even 76ers star Tyrese Maxey don't make the cut, it limits exposure for younger stars or players that the average fan may not get to see as much. It also hurts players like Powell, the 31-year-old who is having a career year and deserves the chance to shine on a national stage.
Plus, let's not act like the All-Star Game is some sacred thing; the NBA has been tinkering with the format for years, trying to add excitement and competitiveness to the game, and trying to find ways to get fans more engaged with it. What better way to do that than by adding more players to the mix?
More players also lends itself well to trying new things; with 30 total players you could do a 3-on-3 tournament with six teams of five players squaring off in short, competitive games that allow everyone to really show off their skills and get people more run than they do in the current format, while also capitalizing on the booming popularity of the 3-on-3 format.
While it's clearly too late for it to happen this season, roster expansion is definitely something the NBA should look into, even if Booker is only bringing it up because he's salty he didn't make the cut this season.
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