NBA All-Star Starters: Is the Fan Voting Rigged?

The NBA All-Star game is just around the corner and the starters for the East and West teams have been announced, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it, the selection process is a complete joke. The glaring omission that has fans and analysts alike scratching their heads in disbelief is none other than Joel Embiid. This guy has been having an ABSOLUTE MONSTER of a season and yet, he’s nowhere to be found on the All-Star roster.

The East All-Star starters are Giannis Antetokounmpo (captain), Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, and Jayson Tatum, all great players no doubt, but where the hell is Joel Embiid?! He’s currently ranked #3 in the league for generating fantasy points, averaging 56.2 per game. He’s also the #1 ranked player in the league for scoring points, averaging 33.3 per game. Additionally, he’s ranked #8 in the league for getting blocks, averaging 1.7 per game, and #6 in the league for shot volume, with 20.7 shots per game. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like All-Star starter material to me.

Let’s take a look at the voting

Final fan vote totals ⬇️ https://t.co/1aGcR38yuZ pic.twitter.com/Dv0osz0jlA

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 27, 2023

And let’s not even get started on the Brooklyn Nets, who have two starters despite being in fourth place in the East. Nic Claxton? Are you kidding me? The guy is #85 in fantasy point production, #30 in rebounds, #120 in points. Sure, he’s got some blocks, but is that enough to get him into the top 20 for front court? It’s clear that Brooklyn has been manipulating the fan voting system to their advantage. It’s time to get rid of fan voting altogether, it’s just a way for big market teams to have an unfair advantage.

Let’s take a look at the West, the All-Star starters are LeBron James (captain), Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Zion Williamson. Now, don’t get me wrong, these players have all been playing at an incredibly high level, but is Zion Williamson really a starter? He’s currently ranked #26 in fantasy points a game, #19 in pts, #48 in rebounds, and #41 in shots. Sure, he’s a dominant presence on the court, but is that enough to secure a starting spot in the All-Star game?

It’s a damn shame that players like Embiid, who have been putting up All-Star starter numbers, didn’t get starter recognition. The All-Star starters are suppose to represent the best of the best so if you were building a team, to win a championship this year based on player performance to date, would you pick Zion? This whole process is a joke and it’s time for a change.