The first round of fan voting for the NBA All-Star game has been released, and there are already snubs and people not deserving a spot. There will always be more deserving players than there are spots on the team. Yet, sometimes, fans can miss it completely. Let’s take a look at the NBA All-Star first returns.
NBA All-Star First Returns Show Winning Doesn’t Matter
We always hear experts, coaches, players, and everyone else that winning matters and that the All-Star game should reward it. But if we look at the first returns for the NBA All-Stars, they tell a completely different story.
The only aspect that fans got right is the Eastern Conference Frontcourt, with Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way. Yet, even there, Evan Mobley is 10th in votes, with players like Joel Embiid and Paul George getting more votes than the young Cavs’ center.
The first returns of fan voting for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game are in
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 2, 2025
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Is LaMelo Ball the Best Guard in the East?
LaMelo Ball, playing for the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference, leads all East guards by more than 200,000 votes. Donovan Mitchell, playing for the first-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, is second on that list. Darius Garland, Mitchell’s running mate in the backcourt, is not in the top 10. Jalen Brunson, playing for the third-seed Knicks, hasn’t amassed more than 500,000 votes. His running mate, Kat, has over a million votes for the frontcourt spot.
Looking at the guards, there are more abnormalities further down the list. For example, Jordan Poole has more votes than Tyler Herro. The former is playing for the second-worst team in the league, while the latter leads the sixth-seed Heat in scoring and assists.
Legacy Votes for Western Frontcourt
While the Eastern Conference frontcourt looks set with the top three picks, the Western is another story. Nikola Jokic leads all Western frontcourt players, but he is followed by LeBron James and Kevin Durant, two players who are mostly getting legacy votes at this point in their careers. The Oklahoma City Thunder don’t have a top-five player in the frontcourt, with Jalen Williams at sixth, and he is having a great year.
In fact, of the top three teams in the West, only one player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a starting spot so far. Ja Morant, playing for the second-seed Grizzlies, is seventh on the guards’ list, while Jaren Jackson Jr. is No.10 on the frontcourt list. Alperen Senguin, playing for the third-seed Rockets, is sixth on the frontcourt list. Morant would be a breath of fresh air in the All-Star game, but his chances to make it depend on the coaches.
How Much Does Fan Voting Matter?
Fan voting is just one part of the votes for the NBA All-Star game. Fan voting updates will be shared on the first three Thursdays in January: 2nd, 9th, and 16th. We got the first NBA All-Star returns, and from there, we can see how things unfold.
Fan voting accounts for 50% of the votes to decide All-Star starters. Then, NBA players decide for 25%, and a media panel accounts for the remaining 25%. Coaches select the reserves for the All-Star game. This Friday, the NBA has a 3-for-1 Day, which means that each fan vote will count three times. Judging by the NBA All-Star first returns, there will be plenty of snubs this year.
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