Fan voting is almost complete, and the results have caught many onlookers by surprise
The third edition of the NBA All-Star fan votes were released on Thursday morning. The new results reveal only minor changes from the second round results (released on Jan. 9).
In the Western Conference, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has widened the gap over Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic by nearly 60,000 votes. In the East, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is still the clear frontrunner with a 566,000 vote lead over Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors. Siakam is the new runner-up in the East after gaining a narrow 35,000 vote edge over Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
Most of the big names at the top of the list don’t come as a shock: Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Trae Young and Kyrie Irving. These are perennial playmakers and have been bonafide All-Stars for several years. They’re no-brainer selections for fans across the league.
Though some fans might question the rank of players like Carmelo Anthony, who signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in November, or Kyrie Irving, who has missed most of this season so far due to injury, there is no question these players are sentimental fan favorites whose successful careers have earned them a seat at the All-Star table.
However, many fans are puzzled by players such as Lakers guard Alex Caruso and Boston Celtics center Tacko Fall. Caruso, fourth in the most recent Western Conference guard voting, is only averaging 5.7 points per game. Even more shocking is Fall, coming in at sixth in the East’s frontcourt voting, who has only appeared in four games throughout his rookie season.
The only reason these players have made the cut is because of the market size of their organizations. The Lakers and Celtics are arguably the two most recognizable basketball franchises in the world, and their fan bases extend well beyond the city limits of Los Angeles and Boston. This is unfair to fans of small-market franchises with players who make way better candidates on the stat sheet, but it’s just the way things are.
So, will we have to watch Caruso and Fall trot around the United Center in Chicago while more deserving players like DeMar DeRozan, CJ McCollum, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic stay home? Absolutely not.
The All-Stars are not selected on fan polls alone. The starters are nominated based on a combined vote from three separate parties, each weighted differently: fans (50%), players (25%) and NBA affiliated media (25%). The votes of the players and media are factored in after the final round of fan voting, which ends Jan. 20. The reserves for each conference are determined by a poll of all 30 NBA coaches, so fan voting isn’t a factor for the final five roster spots. The teams will then be drafted by the captains of their conference, likely James and Antetokounmpo.
This should come as a relief to lovers of the game of basketball. Before the new All-Star Game format was adopted in 2018, Commissioner Adam Silver implemented a system of checks and balances, forecasting the impact market size tends to have on fan voting.
The NBA All-Star Game should showcase the best of the best. All-Stars are players who are consistent contributors to their team’s success. They are the players who other teams study and prepare for. Opposing teams’ players, coaches and fan bases should have great respect (and even fear) for a player with All-Star honors.
The only considerable factor in deciding who makes the cut should be a player’s talent. Talent is quantifiable through statistics. A team’s record might be impacted by a player’s talent, but it can be attributed to a variety of other factors as well, making it an unreliable basis for determining All-Stars. The voting certainly shouldn’t be left up to a popularity contest. At the end of the day, if you’re going to be an NBA All-Star, you should have the stats to back it up.
The starters for each conference will be announced on Jan. 23, three days after fan voting concludes. The reserves will be announced on Jan. 30. Conference captains will draft their squads on Feb. 6 for the game that will be played Feb. 16th at 8 p.m EST.