NBA's new All-Star format, Spo's greatness, Spurs for real?

Welcome to From The Logo, a collection of opinions, analysis, and locker room insights from theScore's lead NBA reporter, Joseph Casciaro.

USA vs. World: Don't blame NBA for trying something

It's no secret that the All-Star Game has lost its juice over the years. As I've written before, the bulk of the blame falls on the players, who just aren't wired the way legends of the past were when it comes to truly competing in the midseason classic. I've defended modern players in some debates, but I won't in this argument. Today's stars claim to worship at the altar of Jordan and Kobe while simultaneously admitting they don't want to compete during a week off in February.

It's pathetic, and it's why the league office has had to find creative ways - albeit unsuccessful ones - to invigorate All-Star Weekend. A USA versus the world tournament is never going to carry the same stakes as hockey's Four Nations Face-Off did last year, but I won't knock commissioner Adam Silver and Co. for trying to find something that touches a competitive nerve.

On that note, while many this week mocked how convoluted the new All-Star selection process is, I'll actually applaud the league for coming up with a system that will still reward the most deserving players while satisfying the need for a new format. Strictly sticking to a USA vs. World selection process would've left some deserving All-Stars out of the event in order to fill either the American or international quota. Instead, the league's 10 starters and 24 true All-Stars will still be selected in the traditional conference-splitting ways, with Silver then selecting however many additional All-Stars are needed to reach at least 16 Americans and eight international players. Moving to a positionless format is also a great way to get with the times of modern basketball while ensuring the most deserving players are selected (though the league should also move past the West/East split eventually).

In addition, Silver's selections should remove any need for injury replacement All-Stars this year, which were always selected by the commissioner.

Is it more complicated than any league's All-Star selection process needs to be? Yes. Is it the league's fault we had to go to these lengths? No. This one's on the players.

Coach Spo always finds a way

The best coaches adapt to the talent at their disposal, maximizing the cards they've been dealt. And few bench bosses have been better in any facet of the game than Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has been for the better part of two decades.

Miami's new-look offense is a testament to Spoelstra's ingenuity and adaptability. Undoubtedly aided by consultant Noah LaRoche - the former Grizzlies assistant who implemented the free-flowing system Ja Morant reportedly hated - the star-less Heat are playing a beautiful, break-neck brand of basketball with Tyler Herro sidelined.

It's not just that Miami is playing fast, with the gap between the Heat's possessions per game and second-ranked Portland equivalent to the gap between the Blazers and the 11th-fastest team (they play even faster when Bam Adebayo is off the court). It's that the Heat are moving the ball, moving bodies, and making improvised decisions at a rate defenses can't keep up with.

Spoelstra has his club playing a motion-style offense that involves very few set play calls or pick-and-rolls. To put it all in perspective, consider that through 12 games, only 6.8% of Miami's possessions had been finished by a pick-and-roll ball-handler or roll-man, per NBA.com. The league's 29 other teams have pick-and-roll frequencies ranging from 15.7% to 27.3%.

No one has benefited more than reserve swingman Jaime Jaquez Jr., who belongs in early Most Improved Player discussions for virtually doubling his scoring and assist averages while increasing his shooting efficiency and lowering his turnover rate.

The overall team gains have been modest (from 21st in efficiency last year to 12th this season), but the fact Miami has been better at all with Herro and Adebayo out of the lineup is another feather in Spoelstra's cap. At this rate, he's running out of room for any more feathers.

How legit are the Spurs?

This question came from app user fzohra19, who wanted to know if the Spurs are about to turn back the clock to the franchise's dynastic years.

The dynasty question is impossible to answer, other than to say the restrictive aprons and other CBA measures intended to encourage parity are going to make it difficult for teams to stack championships the way San Antonio once did. I don't necessarily think that's a good thing, but that's a topic for another day.

As for your question about how legit this Spurs team is, the short answer is very. They may prove too green to knock off winners like Oklahoma City and Denver en route to a title, but history suggests employing a superstar of Wembanyama's otherworldly abilities usually leads to some form of contention.

Even if we just look at the last five years, teams employing the last 25 All-NBA First Team selections have averaged 53 wins, with 22 of the 25 teams finishing at least top-six in their respective conferences. If Wembanyama stays relatively healthy, the Spurs will be a West playoff team. Add the backcourt duo of De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle with the stability of solid vets like Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet, and I don't think this squad would be just happy to be there, either.

With a playoff spot now the baseline, consider how much higher the Spurs can climb in the coming years as Wembanyama, Castle, Dylan Harper, and Carter Bryant improve. In addition, San Antonio still has more than enough draft capital to swing for the fences if the team wants to chase the next disgruntled star. Whether we're talking 2026 or beyond, the Spurs are built to contend and to last.

Player of the Week

Nikola Jokic: 37.0 PPG, 87.4 TS%, 12.5 RPG, 9.0 APG, 1.5 STL + BLK, 4-0 record

I considered Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama, Jalen Johnson, and Cade Cunningham, but how could I deny Jokic a repeat?

Look at that outrageous efficiency from a guy who nearly averaged a 37-point triple-double while leading his team to a perfect week in which they performed 19 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor as opposed to on the bench.

You should probably get used to finding Jokic's name here throughout the season, with the real suspense simply who qualified as a runner-up.

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