Durant, Harden still trail fan vote; draft on Feb. 7
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With five days remaining in the fan vote for the All-Star Game, back-to-back NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant and reigning NBA MVP James Harden remain outside of the Western Conference starting five.
Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Paul George remains ahead of Durant in the West’s starting five in the most recent fan voting results, the league announced Thursday. George joins Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic in the conference’s frontcourt.
Harden remains behind Minnesota Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry in the voting for the conference’s backcourt.
James, who has been out since Dec. 27 with a groin injury, leads all players in the most recent totals and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is second overall in the fan voting, which closes Jan. 21. Doncic remains in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference, ahead of Curry and Rose.
Joining Antetokounmpo atop the Eastern Conference vote are Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving.
The fan vote, which opened Dec. 25, accounts for 50 percent of the vote to determine the 10 All-Star starters.
Current NBA players account for 25 percent of the vote; so does a media panel. Every voter will complete one full ballot featuring two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference. Voting for NBA players and media also concludes on Jan. 21.
The format used last season for drafting teams remains in place.
The top vote-getters from each conference will serve as team captains. Each captain will draft rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference. Captains can choose players for their teams regardless of conference affiliation.
Reserves will be determined by a vote of NBA head coaches. So if they aren’t voted in as starters, players like Harden and Durant will have to make the team through the coaches’ vote.
The captains’ draft will be televised on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT. It was not televised in 2018, the first year of the captain format.
Durant and New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis are fourth and fifth, respectively, among Western Conference frontcourt players. Harden, who has scored at least 40 points in nine of his past 12 games to lead the undermanned Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook remain the third and fourth guards, respectively, in the conference.
In the Eastern Conference, Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker and 76ers guard Ben Simmons are third and fourth in the backcourt voting. Boston forward Jayson Tatum and Philadelphia forward Jimmy Butler are fourth and fifth, respectively, in conference frontcourt voting.
Other totals of note: Vince Carter, 41, remains in seventh among Eastern Conference frontcourt players, and Lakers guard Lonzo Ball is still in eighth among Western Conference guards. Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins — who hasn’t played an NBA game in nearly 12 months due to a ruptured left Achilles tendon but is expected to return Jan. 18 — remains 10th among Western Conference frontcourt players. He’s one spot ahead of teammate Draymond Green.
The All-Star starters — and captains — will be announced Jan. 24. Reserves will be announced Jan. 31.