Team MD. It's a good first step. It shows a willingness to change things up and at the very least not keep repeating the same tired thing simply out of tradition. I hope that they do it this way this year and then become progressively braver each year to throw in more wrinkles and actually start innovating. In the end, this is a very low risk proposition because ultimately, who really cares about the stupid All Star Game? If it's 10% more interesting this year, that's still progress.

2017-18 Reckless Predictions:
MVP: KD, but I think that KD, Kawhi, and LeBron are all basically even. I'm going with KD because the Warriors will win 75 games this season and despite the vote splitting that might occur between he and Steph, he'll win out due to the "best player on the greatest team of all time" factor. As usual it's LeBron's to take, though, if he wants it.

Warriors win 75 games.

Cavs, Celtics, and Wizards all finish within 4 games of each other.

Boogie gets traded.

The Bucks aren't great in the regular season, but win a playoff series.

The Clippers don't make the playoffs.

The Heat make a big trade.

OKC struggles early, but get hot in March and April deluding people into thinking they could give the Warriors a series.

The Rockets and Spurs play GS tough all year and combine for 3 of the 7 victories over the Warriors. People think this is evidence that either can give the Warriors a series.

Melo has the most efficient offensive season of his career.

Russ somehow still averages 30 ppg.

Giannis overtakes Harden as a consensus top 5 player in the league.

Isaiah Thomas doesn't return until the All Star break.

This time next year CJ McCullum and Damian Lillard won't both be in Portland.

Dwight Howard averages 14 and 12.

LeBron averages 26/9/9.

The Spurs trade Aldridge by this time next year, because that contract can't possibly mean they want him around for 3 seasons.

D Wade averages the most inefficient 14/3/3 possible.

LeBron stays in Cleveland.

Paul Pierce makes me despise him even more by saying stupid things and making me look at his stupid catfish looking face.

Mods?

notice how 4/5's post is 99% about black people...racist much?

Ooo, I like these. I've bolded the predictions I see happening...

Do you think the Heat will make the playoffs? What kind of trade do you expect?

where's verb to say "Golden State won't win 75 due to Steph's girl ankles"?

i miss him so much

I do too. We can all use a little more pessimism in our lives.

Did verb dieded?

Apparently LeBron told GQ that he thinks Gilbert's comic sans tirade was racial in nature and that he still thinks about it from time to time. Yeah, he's gone. It didn't take long at all for my predictions to start breaking down.

I do think Miami will make the playoffs, they are in the East after all. There will probably be a multi team pileup at 5-8/9 like two years ago, but I'd expect Miami to be there. And if this team doesn't start off exactly where it left off last year (which it probably won't), I expect Riley to start putting packages together to get a star. It'll depend how other teams are doing to determine who might be available, but the contracts Riley gave out this summer should be decent trade assets. Riley's always been a major believer in building around stars, so I can't imagine he'll sit around watching this squad struggle for very long.

What kind of stars do you think he will go after? I've seen some rumblings of a Boogie/Whiteside swap. I don't buy them though.

Yeah, same. Idk, I could definitely see him doing something like that. Boogie > whiteside and he's supremely confident in his ability to get a guy to stay once he's here, so who knows.

I think he'll be limited in what he can go after, it'll be guys on expiring contracts or teams that want to tank or clear room for next summer.

Oh Jesus.

Ouch.

Yeah, Gordon Hayward's leg just snapped in half. Watch at your own risk:

Spoiler: show

Man, that really sucks for the Celtics. I feel really bad for Hayward. Seems like a good dude and was hidden in obscurity in Utah.

that's nasty

This is actually a case where it doesn't look as bad in slow motion. I mean, it stills looks bad, but it looked way worse at full speed.

that first close up view of him on the floor and his leg bent made me cringe