LeBron James And Stephen Curry Lead First Votes Cast For All-Star Game
Golden State Warriors starting point guard Stephen Curry continues his rise in the upper echelon of NBA superstars as he is just a shade under LeBron James for highest total votes in the first results of the balloting for the All-Star game slated for February 2015. Curry amassed a total of 549,000 votes from fans to lead the Western Conference players while LeBron James accumulated 553,000 good for first overall and best in the Eastern Conference.
At the rate the votes are going, Curry will be named a starter in his second consecutive year besting other Western Conference guards, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, Mike Conley, Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies and Damien Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant took the other starting guard spot for the West with 521,000 votes. While the frontcourt leading vote-getters are Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans with 524,000, Blake Griffin of the Clippers with 300,000 and Marc Gasol of the Grizzlies with 227,000. Noticably absent from the leading vote getters is current Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder who is sidelined with an ankle injury and has missed the start of the season with a fractured foot.
If the votes will be going with this trend, the Eastern Conference will see a new face in the starting line-up with the Washington Wizards' John Wall (299,000) getting the other potential starting guard spot. Perennial faces flank the other starters in the East such as Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat (269,00), Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks (265,000) and Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls (247,000).
Other notable players who got significant votes due to their improvement this season are DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings with 117,000, Bradley Beal who placed 10th in the East's backcourt, and Toronto starting point guard Kyle Lowry.
This year's edition of the All-Star games will be hosted by the Knicks at the Madison Square Garden on Feb. 15, 2015. The last day when votes can be counted is scheduled on Jan. 19 and the starters will be announced a week later. The NBA coaches will choose the reserves for both squads while any starter chosen via voting who is currently injured will be replaced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
