NBA fans have made their voices heard after casting votes for their favourite players – ranging from established veterans to up-and-coming stars.
The ageless LeBron James leads the NBA in the latest fan returns for the All-Star voting, and the NBA 2022 odds predict that he’ll stay on top when the casting concludes this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and DeMar DeRozan are also the top vote-getters at their corresponding position groups.
As we look ahead to the festivities few weeks from now, take a look at our All-Star choices here at SBOTOP.
Eastern Conference backcourt: Darius Garland and DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan leads all Eastern Conference guards with 4,121,034 votes, which is well-deserved since he has been the catalyst for the Bulls’ resurgence this season.
With averages of 25.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game, DeRozan has helped the Bulls move up to as high as the second seed with a 28-16 record.
Not too long ago, DeRozan became the first player in NBA history to hit game-winning buzzer beaters in back-to-back games vs. the Pacers and the Wizards – silencing his skeptics about his ability to close games.
The 32-year-old has meshed well with co-stars Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine and the Bulls are primed to make a deep playoff run this term.
For us, it’s a toss up between James Harden and Darius Garland for the second Eastern Conference backcourt spot. But here we’ll give the nod to the Cavaliers’ youngster despite having only 343,551 votes as of this writing.
Garland has taken the league by storm with his play in recent weeks, which includes an Eastern Conference Player of the Week award.
More importantly, he has led Cleveland to fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 27-19 record and he’s stuffing the stat sheet with averages of 19.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game.
Eastern Conference frontcourt: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant
Here, we’ll pick three of the top vote-getters in the Eastern Conference frontcourt. Kevin Durant has the most with 5,496,513, while Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid have 5,124,925 and 3,305,229.
By averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game, Kevin Durant has carried the Nets on his back en route to the top seed in the East with a 29-16 record.
Unfortunately, he is sidelined for the foreseeable future due to a sprained MCL, so he’s likely to be replaced in the lineup. Jayson Tatum from the Celtics is poised to take his spot.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid are both high in the MVP race as they’ve been remarkable for the Bucks and Sixers respectively.
The Greek Freak has averaged 28.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game while The Process is posting norms of 28.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.
Western Conference backcourt: Steph Curry, Ja Morant
Two of the most exciting guards in the league make up for our starting backcourt in the Western Conference. The combination of Steph Curry’s outside shooting and Ja Morant’s athleticism will surely make up for a ton of NBA 2022 highlights in Cleveland.
Curry has averages of 26.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game, while Morant offers something similar with 24.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game.
Both Curry and Morant have been instrumental to their teams’ rise in the Western Conference standings. Golden State are the second seed with a 32-12 record while Memphis have put the league on notice since they’re right behind them at 32-16.
Besides Steph Curry and Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Klay Thompson, and Devin Booker have also gathered a lot of votes and we wouldn’t be surprised if they’ll be part of the West All-Stars as well.
Western Conference frontcourt: LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert
LeBron James and Nikola Jokic are the no-brainers here while our selection of Rudy Gobert may raise some eyebrows.
The King is just unbelievable in his 19th year in the NBA. He has been the driving force for the Lakers with norms of 28.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.
He recently became the first player to have at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 9,000 assists, which is a testament to his longevity.
Jokic, meanwhile, remains a force for the Nuggets by averaging 25.9 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.
Rudy Gobert gets the final nod since he impacts winning for the Jazz despite not being their first option. He is averaging 15.9 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game on 71.3-per cent shooting.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE BASKETBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
