As we approach the halfway mark of the NBA season, All-Star weekend is almost upon us. It takes place from February 16 to February 18 and will consist of the best players in the league competing against each other.
All-Star voting has been controversial over the years as fans, players, and coaches can never seem to fully agree on the most deserving players for the game. This has led to the current voting system in place for the 2024 All-Star game.
Fan voting, which began on December 19, will account for 50% of the vote for the starters, which is only five players from each conference. The players and media then make up 25% each of the starters vote.
Seven more players from each conference will then be selected as reserves by the coaches of the NBA rounding out the All-Star game rosters.
On January 11, the second update for All-Star fan voting was released and it revealed some familiar faces for New York fans.
Both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets had players appear in the top 10 in the Eastern conference at their respective positions.
In the frontcourt voting, which includes centers and forwards, Julius Randle of the New York Knicks ranks eighth overall with 361,202 votes. Shortly behind him is Brooklyn Nets’ Mikal Bridges with 297,934 votes.
Both of these frontcourt players have proven they deserve to be on this list, and potentially ranked even higher. Randle, who is a 2x All-Star, has averaged 24.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He’s been a huge part of the Knicks success this year.
Bridges has averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists and has secured his spot as the best player on a team that is still very much in playoff contention. This would be his first All-Star appearance if given the opportunity.
The voting for guards was definitely a tighter race. The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson highlights this one for New York as he ranks sixth in guard voting with 759,640 votes.
Brunson, who was snubbed from his first All-Star game last season, has made a case to be an All-Star starter this year as he has been a top guard in the Eastern conference. He has averaged 25.8 points and 6.4 assists per game this year. He has also been extremely efficient, shooting 46.9% from the field and 42.4% from three-point range, which compares to the shooting of Stephen Curry in his prime.
The fan votes are not over yet as the next update will come on January 18 and the results will be revealed on January 25. These New York players have the chance to rise in the rankings over the next few weeks and potentially receive votes from other players and the media in the process.
Make sure to vote for Brunson, Randle, Bridges, and any other of your favorite New York Players for the 2024 All-Star game. In order to vote go to http://vote.nba.com
