
Thursday afternoon, the NBA would release their first fan voting returns for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend will take place from February 14th-February 16th with the new mini-tournament format being the biggest change. The All-Star starters will be revealed on January 16th with the reserves being named on January 23rd.
In the Western Conference frontcourt, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic leads all Western Conference voters with 1.4 million votes. In second and third place are Kevin Durant and LeBron James with 1.2 and 1.1 million votes respectively. Not too far behind James is his teammate Anthony Davis, who has just under one million votes. In the backcourt, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads West guards with 1.05 million votes. In second place is Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, who has just over 870,000 votes. The closest vote-getter to Doncic is Stephen Curry, who has over 810,000 votes.
In the Eastern Conference frontcourt, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo leads all voter-getters with over 1.7 million votes. In second and third place are Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns, with 1.3 million and 1.09 million votes, respectively. With a significant gap between the third and fourth-highest vote-getters in the Eastern Conference frontcourt, Orlando’s Paolo Banchero has 484,000 votes, likely solidifying Antetokounmpo, Tatum, and Towns as the East frontcourt starters after only one fan vote return.
In the backcourt, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball leads East guards with over 977,000 votes. In second and third, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard have 718,000 and 704,000 votes, respectively. Another significant gap between third and fourth place, Jalen Brunson is the fourth-highest East guard vote-getter with over 477,000 votes.
The first returns saw several surprises in both conferences. In the West, several potential first-time All-Stars received enough votes to land in the top 10 vote-getter first returns. Although the odds are unfortunately heavily stacked against him, Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell has had a career year, averaging 24.3 PPG 3.3 RPG, and 2.5 APG.
In the East, one of the biggest surprises is the lack of votes for New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who is over 200,000+ votes out of third place amongst East guards and has over 600,000+ fewer votes than his teammate Karl-Anthony Towns. Other East surprises include Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole and Boston Celtics guard Derrick White landing in the top 10 amongst guards.
Between the two conferences, the Western Conference is more likely to see more competition for first-time All-Stars nods. Of those potential first-time All-Stars, all of them are in the front court. In the East, there are two strong candidates for their first All-Star nods.
Victor Wembanyama
The San Antonio Spurs have been off to a strong start in comparison to the 2023-24 season. Last season, the Spurs finished with a 22-60 record, 14th in the Western Conference. Through 33 games so far this season, the Spurs sit at 17-16, currently 9th in the West. Much of the Spurs’ success so far this season can be attributed to their young superstar Victor Wembanyama. In the 28 games he’s played so far this season, he has averaged 25.6 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, and a league-leading 3.9 BPG. In the 28 games San Antonio has had Wembanyama in the lineup, the team has gone 15-13. With the All-Star voting for the 2025 game remaining the same and several front-court spots potentially opening up, Wembanyama should receive his first of many All-Star nods this season. Wembanyama currently has the fifth most votes in the Western Conference frontcourt.
Jalen Williams
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the most dominant teams in the league despite all the injuries they have faced early in the season. With Chet Holmgren suffering an injury early in the season that has held him out through the new year, Jalen Williams has stepped into the number two role on the Thunder behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Having a strong sophomore season in the 2023-24 campaign, Williams has looked like a young star in only his third season. Currently averaging 21.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 5.2 APG through 32 games played, Williams has seen an uptick in his stats across the board. With the Thunder sitting at 27-5 and first in the West, the Thunder are nearly guaranteed to have more than one All-Star with their dominance so far this season. Having the seventh most votes in the Western Conference frontcourt, Williams may land his first All-Star nod via the coaches.
Alperen Sengun
One of the biggest surprises this season has been the Houston Rockets. Last season, the Rockets would finish 41-41 and fall just short of the Play-In Tournament. While many expected the team to take a step forward, no one expected the Rockets to be 3rd in the West 30+ games into the season. Currently 21-11, the Rockets have been led by their talented young duo of Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green. Sengun has had a strong start to his season, averaging 18.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 5.1 APG. While Green has stats comparable to his teammate, Green would face much harder All-Star competition with guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, and Anthony Edwards more than likely taking most of the guard spots available. With the frontcourt spots being more diverse and the young star currently having the sixth most Western Conference frontcourt, Sengun should land his first All-Star nod this season.
Franz Wagner
While a torn oblique may lessen his chances of landing being an All-Star, Franz Wagner is more than worthy of being named to his first All-Star team this season. The Orlando Magic have been dominated by injuries this season, first losing their young star Paolo Banchero five games into the season. Signing a five-year, $224 million rookie contract extension in July, many thought Wagner was not worth that money. He quickly proved them wrong, averaging 24.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 5.7 APG in 25 games, increasing his stats across the board. With the Magic currently sitting at 20-14, 4th in the Eastern Conference, the Magic are deserving of an All-Star. While it’s unknown if Wagner will be back on the court before All-Star weekend, he should land his first All-Star nod regardless of if he is available to play. The fans have recognized Wagner’s play this season, with the Magic forward currently seventh in Eastern Conference frontcourt voting.
Cade Cunningham
One of the most overlooked players this season is Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham. Through 29 games played so far this season, the first overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft is averaging a quiet 23.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 9.7 APG. While the Pistons have had one of the most unfortunate runs over the last half-decade, Detroit has had a solid start to the 2024-25 season. Currently sitting at 15-18 and 9th in the East, there is a strong case for Cunningham to be a first-time All-Star. Even though the competition for East guard is tough with Cunningham with the sixth most votes, he makes a strong case stats-wise to land an All-Star nod over other potential reserves.
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