By: Brad Scanlon
The NBA All-Star weekend is approaching quickly. February 15-17 marks the break in games for festivities, a midway point of the season and a chance for fun and camaraderie among players. The highlight of the weekend is the All-Star game, where the most talented athletes in the league play in a friendly exhibition game.
The players in the game are chosen by a voting system, where the 10 starters are chosen by a combination of fans, other current players and media experts. The remaining bench players will be chosen by league coaches. Lineups will be drafted by two team captains after the All-Stars are announced at the end of January. Preliminary voting results have been released and the numbers are fascinating. While there are many shocking outcomes, the most popular vote-getters are the familiar faces you would expect. Lebron James and Stephen Curry lead the Western Conference with over 2 million votes each, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving command the East. Second in votes in the West, however, is forward Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks. One of the most talented rookies of this generation, Dončić is rightfully heralded for leading the Mavs to a strong start to the season and averaging a solid 20 points and 7 rebounds per game. The surprising part is that he has more votes than perennial All-Stars and team leaders Paul George, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis, all forwards in the Western Conference too. The same phenomenon occurs for the West guards. Derrick Rose is second in votes behind Curry. Rose is having an excellent comeback season: averaging 19 points per game, 5 assists per game. While also in the conversation for winning the Most Improved Player Award, Rose is ahead of more worthy vote recipients. James Harden and Russell Westbrook trail Rose, with Harden leading the league in scoring and Westbrook averaging a triple-double for the second consecutive year. In the East, Dwyane Wade is second in guard voting. Averaging 14 points and 4 assists per game, Wade’s stats are not on par with a typical All-Star, and his abilities have clearly declined as a 15-year veteran. More surprising results include the top-10 status in votes for 41-year-old Vince Carter and his underperforming Hawks teammate Jeremy Lin. Additionally, Demarcus Cousins is tenth in West forward voting while not playing a single game this season due to an Achilles injury. On the other end of the spectrum, center Nikola Jokic is 7th in the West frontcourt voting, even behind the Thunder’s third best player in Steven Adams, while he is averaging close to a triple-double and leading his Denver Nuggets to the best record in the West, all while being in the conversation for MVP. All interesting voting results are contributed to the major role fans have in choosing. With the public in control of 50% of the decision, personal preference, bias and emotional connections can get in the way of picking the best players to represent the league. While Dončić and Rose are having great seasons, they are chosen mostly over others for their stories, with Dončić a stellar rookie and Rose an inspiration coming back from injury. Wade is being voted mostly because he is retiring after the season, and fans want to see one last All-Star game from a league legend; the same is true for Vince Carter. Some of the new faces could be chosen as a source of variety, as most All-Stars are selected nearly every year. All-Star selections are often used in the GOAT conversation; the awards are used as evidence for fans debating who is the greatest basketball player ever. If the number of selections are used to compare players and rank their talent and careers, they should be based on merit rather than emotional attachment. While letting fans vote gives them a greater connection to the process and their favorite players, other players and coaches provide the best insight to the importance of players on their teams and their individual talent. Selected players and lineups will be announced in the next few weeks and fans will see how the entertaining process pans out. Will your favorite player make the All-Star game?
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Dylan EdelmanWilson Senior Archives
February 2020
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