It is almost cringe-worthy to think what the 2017 All-Star game would look like if the fan votes had a heavier weight in deciding the players. Choosing a select-few from a pool of insanely talented and deserving players is hard as there are bound to be snubs no matter what you do. However, in this year's second returns, there are clearly players who might not make the roster but have a better case of being there than players higher up in votes.
The name that probably stands out the most among the top of the Western Conference is Zaza Pachulia of the Golden State Warriors. The only frontcourt players to get more votes than he did are Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo as per Bleacher Report. While you can argue that Pachulia has helped Golden State win games, having his name higher up the rankings than the likes Demarcus Cousins, Karl Anthony Towns, Marc Gasol and Anthony Davis is just absurd.
Another Western Conference player is Pachulia's teammate, Stephen Curry. While Curry is still playing well this season, despite having to make room for Kevin Durant, he does not quite stack up to the season Russell Westbrook and James Harden are having. Not to take away anything Steph has done this season, but, Westbrook and Harden are tearing up the stat sheets on route to a career season which makes them more deserving to be seated on top of the Western Conference Guard selections.
In the Eastern Conference, players like Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving and Dwayne Wade seem like automatic names to be included in the All-Star game, until you look at the numbers. Carmelo Anthony is no longer the best player on his team when Kristaps Porzingis, who ironically sits behind Anthony in votes, is healthy. Kyrie Irving is having a good season, but not as good as players like Isaiah Thomas or Kemba Walker. Both Thomas and Walker also have to carry a team without the help of LeBron James.
Dwayne Wade, who already expressed that his all-star days are behind him to ESPN's Nick Friedell, had this to say: "All the years I've been voted by the fans, besides last year, you couldn't argue it." He also added "You get to this point of your career you accept it, you take it." If fan votes hold true, Wade will be have a starting position better filled by players like DeMar DeRozan or Kyle Lowry who are continuing their stellar play from last season.
There are just some names that are more recognizable than others, no matter the comparison in performance. Luckily for those that mind, fan votes only have a 50% weight as active players and members of the media will take 25% each as per the NBA's official site. You can expect significant movement in the standings when their votes are taken in as they are more likely to recognize notable performances for the season rather than popular names (or troll votes like Zaza Pachulia). This voting system will hopefully give a chance for players who have notable performances this year to be recognized in what is meant to be a showcase of the best of the best in the NBA.
