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NBA All-Star voting has been open since December 25th, and Kevin Durant is currently on the outside looking in of the Western Conference’s starting five. Throughout his twelve-year career, Durant has been an All-Star nine times. With voting ending next week, Durant still has the chance to make it through the coaches vote.
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Vote now! https://t.co/7WGNCNxnJB pic.twitter.com/FPyWNVEosn— 2019 NBA All-Star (@NBAAllStar) January 17, 2019
Durant is not the only superstar on the outs. James Harden is the hottest player in the league and ranks third in guard voting, behind Steph Curry and Derrick Rose. The fan vote, which accounts for 50 percent of the total vote, is more of a popularity contest than an actual determination of who is most deserving. Derrick Rose has been a nice story this season, but his production is nowhere close to that of Harden’s.
The same goes for Kevin’s Durant’s competition in frontcourt voting. LeBron James leads the pack, but Luka Doncic and Paul George rank above Durant, which again is not an accurate representation of who has had the better season.
Durant has put up another stellar season, and will almost certainly make the team through the coaches vote. Ranking fourth in the NBA in points per game, Durant remains one of the elite scorers despite a dip in his efficiency. The draft format will remain the same as last year, as each team will have twelve players (five starters and seven reserves), with 24 All-Stars in total. The top vote-getters from each conference will serve as captains for their respective teams and will draft a roster of the players from the list of starters and reserves.
As of today, the two captains would be LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Selecting a roster is not restricted to their conference, as captains are able to select any player they want. The Warriors have been pushing hard for their fans to vote in all five of their all-stars, even Demarcus Cousins who makes his season debut Friday against the Clippers.