The NBA has just released the first round of All-Star voting results. Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the league with 1.71 million votes, while Jokic is second as the top vote-getter in the West. Based on current voting trends, the projected starting lineup for the West is Jokic, Durant, James, Alexander, and Doncic; while the East's starting lineup is expected to be Giannis, Tatum, Towns, Ball, and Mitchell.
Notably, Ball has had an impressive season with the Hornets (second-to-last in the East), earning high popularity with his healthy physique and flashy style, leading to a surge in votes.
In the Eastern Conference guard competition, the top three are Mitchell, Brunson, and Lillard, but only Mitchell has made it into the starting lineup so far. Brunson currently has only 470,000 votes, less than half of Ball's, which is surprising considering New York's status as a major basketball market where popularity should not be this low. Looking at Towns, last year he received only 140,000 votes in the first round with the Timberwolves, but this year it has skyrocketed to 1 million, showing significant progress.
Considering factors such as votes, on-court performance, and team records, the starting positions for the Eastern frontcourt are almost certain to be Giannis, Tatum, and Towns; while the Western frontcourt's Jokic, Durant, and James are also very stable. In the guard category, Alexander has a high chance of being selected as a starter, with the remaining spots mainly contested between Curry and Doncic.
However, the determination of the All-Star starting lineup is not solely based on fan voting, with fans' votes accounting for only 50% of the decision-making power, while NBA players and media review groups each hold 25%.
It can be predicted that the All-Star starting lineup will be as follows: The Western starters are Jokic, Durant, James, Alexander, and Doncic; while the Eastern starters are Giannis, Tatum, Towns, Lillard, and Mitchell.