2023 NBA All Star: NBA Changes All-Star Game Draft, Starters to Be Picked Last

• The NBA has altered the format of the 2023 NBA All-Star draft
• In this weekend's event, 14 reserves will be selected first instead of the starters
• The draft will be conducted just before tip-off at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City

The NBA already revealed that the 2023 NBA All-Star format will be slightly tweaked. They revealed that team captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will pick their teams just before tip-off.

The league added another change ahead of Sunday's game. The 14 All-Star reserves will now be picked first in the draft. This will avoid the embarrassment of a player getting selected last.

There's obviously no shame in getting picked last. Now, the Starters will have to complement the reserves rather than the other way around.

However, getting picked last may be embarrassing for a newcomer like Lauri Markannen. The event is being held in his home arena, and it wouldn't look good for him to be picked last, according to CBS Sports.

Zion Williamson to sidelines through the All-Star break for Pelicans

NBA

This year's draft will be done live on stage at Vivint Arena between 30 minutes to 90 minutes tipoff Sunday, according to ESPN. Players present in the city will take part in the live draft.

The NBA did away with the traditional East vs. West format for the All-Star Weekend. They introduced the current format, where team captains -- players who receive the most votes in each conference -- get to select their players.

The Los Angeles Lakers star has been captain in all six years since the draft was introduced and is undefeated, going 5-0 so far. Antetokounmpo will serve as captain for the third time.

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant has been captain twice, while Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has been captain once, in 2018.

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry to be reevaluated after the All-Star break

NBA

Key things in 2023 NBA All-Star

Curry won the 2022 NBA All-Star Game MVP after scoring 50 points with a record 16-three pointers helping Team LeBron beat Team Durant 163-160, according to USA Today.

The teams will compete in a mini-game in each of the first three quarters, the scores starting at 0-0 in each quarter. The winning team earns $100,000 for a Utah-based charity.

A target score will be set in the fourth quarter, the total score of the leading team plus 24 points. Whoever reaches that target wins the game. The fourth quarter will be untimed.

Slam dunk contest

Sports Brief reported on the key details of the slam dunk contest at the 2023 NBA All-Star.

The entire field for this year’s Slam Dunk Contest includes Mac McClung, who has spent most of the season in the G League with the Delaware Blue Coats before being called up by the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this week.

The players who will challenge McClung are KJ Martin of the Houston Rockets, Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans, and Jericho Sims of the New York Knicks.