Electing Zaza Pachulia to the NBA All-Stars just got tougher

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

GLORY BE TO CRAIG: David Aldridge put together an excellent tribute to Craig Sager by the people who knew him best.

SUFFRAGE: Fans will no longer solely determine who starts in the NBA All-Star Game. Media and players will also have a say. Each of those entities will be responsible for 25 percent of the vote, and the fan vote will count for 50 percent. Some media members are revolting against this; I’ll have something to say about it later on.

CONTROL: I wrote about the NBA’s eternal push to advantage incumbent teams in keeping their star players, and how it never works fully. And here’s Kevin Pelton on the unintended consequences of the new extension rules: more young stars could demand trades.

KILLJOYS: Among the player activities banned in the new CBA are riding a hoverboard and lighting fireworks.

WE’LL BE MISSING YOU: The timetable for Blake Griffin, who had minor knee surgery on his right leg (not the usually problematic left)? Three to six weeks.

SCORES GALORE ...

Wizards 105, Pacers 107
Pistons 82, Bulls 113
Hawks 110, Thunder 108
Suns 108, Wolves 115
Mavericks 107, Nuggets 117

OH NO: Clint Capela broke his leg. I bet the Rockets wish they had another European-born big man right about now ...

SUPPORT: The Celtics used rock-paper-scissors to determine who’d shoot a free throw in real game action.

MALIK THE FREAK: Ricky O’Donnell on Malik Monk becoming John Calipari’s best freshman scorer ever.

SHOUT OUT TO NICK YOUNG: John Wall with a confident follow through on his airball.

UGH: A sober read on a lack of accountability within the Sixers, and not just with Nerlens Noel.

CATCHING UP: SLAM caught up with Brandon Roy, which is always a good idea.

HATERS: The Warriors bench tried to get the refs to call a travel on Klay Thompson during Golden State’s beatdown of Portland.

GEM: The Mavericks have at least one young diamond in the rough: Dorian Finney-Smith.

WOW: How a fire at his childhood home on the Jersey Shore changed Frank Vogel’s life.

BACK IN MY DAY: Want to read some old-timers chortle at the modern push to rest NBA players and limit back-to-backs? No? Well, how about reading Metta World Peace’s keys to performing well on short rest, which include eating veggies and abstaining from sex? There you go.

AS THE KANGZ TURN: Dave Joerger backed up DeMarcus Cousins in his fight with the local newspaper, which is not unexpected. What is interesting is that Joerger has separate beef with the paper about a piece about Joerger’s home purchase that ran this summer. That piece all but identified the home and listed the names and ages of Joerger’s (school-age) daughters. I remember reading it and thinking it was weird, but also that Joerger or the realtor (sorry, Realtor[TM]) must have shared that info openly. To hear Joerger upset about it five months later suggests that was not the case.

SO LONG, TIMMY: Shea Serrano on saying goodbye to the Big Fundamental.

NEXT UP: Tuesday’s NBA TV doubleheader is a big one — Spurs-Rockets at 8 p.m. ET and Jazz-Warriors at 10:30. Plus League Pass has Cavs-Bucks and Celtics-Grizzlies at 8.

AND FINALLY: Damian Lillard is the best alum ever. Oakland High retired his jersey, so he brought along Fetty Wap, DJ Esco, and Lil Uzi Vert (these are notable hip hop personalities especially popular with the youngs) for a concert at the school. Dame is so awesome.

Be excellent to each other.