The NBA announced the 2017 NBA All-Star game starters Thursday night, and the results were stunning in many ways. This season marked the first time fans comprised 50 percent of the vote, while players and a media panel each claimed 25 percent of the vote.
For official results, click here.
Big takeaways before we get to the list:
1. Russell Westbrook is not a starter: Apparently averaging a triple-double for a 25-19 team after the team's best player left last summer is not enough. Stephen Curry landed the other starting spot next to James Harden. He actually finished tied with Westbrook, but the tiebreaker (fans vote) goes to Curry who won in a landslide there. People really like long 3-pointers, apparently. So despite the fact that Westbrook was voted No.1 on the players and media lists, and the fact that he is considered by most to be in a two-man race for MVP with Harden, he is not a starter.
Golden State just keeps handing Westbrook loss after loss. If it's humanly possible for Westbrook to play harder, with more angry vengeance, it's going to happen.
2. DeMar DeRozan (?!) is the only Raptors starter: DeRozan got in via the fan and media vote. He finished second among East guards in media voting. This is pretty shocking considering that DeRozan isn't nearly the best player on his team, that honor belonging to Kyle Lowry, who wasn't selected and wasn't even close. Kyrie Irving making it isn't shocking, given his advantage in the fan voting leading up to the results, but DeRozan getting the nod over Isaiah Thomas, John Wall, Lowry, and even Kemba Walker is frankly perplexing.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a new addition: The Greek Freak makes his first All-Star appearance, and does so a starter, showing how he has emerged at age 22.
4. Zaza Pachulia was not selected a starter: That was the biggest reason the league incorporated fan and player votes, because Pachulia was set to be a starter thanks to overwhelming fan vote. While 19 (!) players did vote for Pachulia, it wasn't enough, and Pelicans forward Anthony Davis got the spot.
Here's the complete list of starters.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Irving won the fan vote and the player vote, finishing third among media members. It's not surprising, given that he's the starting point guard for the No.1 team in the East and a recognizable star. It seems notable that the Players voted him No.1. That shows the respect Irving has drawn for his play.
This is the one that confuses me. Irving at least has notoriety, a championship, and the Cavs' record going for him. But how does DeRozan make it and Lowry does not? Lowry is the engine for Toronto and he's a plus on defense. The same cannot be said for DeRozan. He's averaging 28 points, which is great, on 22 shots, which is pretty good. He's shooting 47.5 percent but for a guy who's basically a pure-scorer, you'd want a little more efficiency, except he can't shoot 3's in a 3-happy league. But DeRozan makes it for a third time.
Lucky No.13 for James, and 13 straight. The King returns to New Orleans as a 3-time champion, leading the top seed in the East and once again putting in a season worthy of MVP consideration. No surprise he was No.1 on the fans, media and player votes in the East frontcourt.
The Greek Freak Revolution is here. Antetokounmpo has been incredible, the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to average over 20 points with five assists and two blocks per game. He'll be a great story and provide great quotes about the experience. This will not be his last, and it's a great thing for Milwaukee to have a star of this caliber.
Butler lands here because Dwyane Wade starts at shooting guard. Aside from James, he may be the best two-way player in the league this season. Without him, the Bulls would be in way worse trouble. He's a big shot maker and is averaging 25-6-5. Third straight selection. Joel Embiid was a popular option, but didn't get support from the players or media.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Curry won because the tiebreaker goes to the fan vote. Curry finished No.1 in fan vote, showing how much people still love his brand of unbelievable 3-pointers and behind the back passes, no matter what lead he helped lose in the Finals. He's arguably the league's most popular player after LeBron James. The media and players selected Curry third, which was the only real option with Chris Paul's injury and no other real contenders, and that put him into a tie with Westbrook. Westbrook is undeniably one of the biggest snubs in league history here.
Harden was a no-brainer and finished No.2 on all three ballots. That shows Harden's resurgent popularity this season, and the respect he's gathering from the media. Players have always respected him. It is notable that he finished second in the media vote behind Westbrook, which could give some indication as to how the MVP vote is looking this season. It's Harden's fifth straight All-Star selection, all since he was traded to Houston.
A no-brainer, Durant is the best player on the best team in the league, record-wise, and inarguably the second-best player in the league. His eighth All-Star appearance comes as he was the No.1 vote getter in the fan, player, and media votes for forwards. It's enough to make you wonder if he could get more of an MVP share than we thought.
Leonard makes the list for the second-straight year, and has been the best player for the second-best team in the West. His efficiency is through the roof and he's still the most feared perimeter defender in the league. Leonard was second in the player and media votes, making up for being third in the fan vote.
The Unibrow could have used this last year when his contract-incentive structure was impacted by not making it. But he's now a four-time All-Star and has been so good, even the Pelicans' woeful record couldn't hurt him.
