Greek Freak joins LeBron among East starters
The first year of collaborative All-Star voting is in the books, with NBA fans, players, and media members combining to select LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, and Kyrie Irving as Eastern Conference starters for the Feb. 19 game.
Here is the voting breakdown:
| East - Frontcourt | Fan Rank | Player Rank | Media Rank | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Jimmy Butler | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Joel Embiid | 3 | 8 | 5 | 4.75 |
| Kevin Love | 4 | 7 | 4 | 4.75 |
| East - Guards | Fan Rank | Player Rank | Media Rank | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyrie Irving | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1.5 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2.75* |
| Isaiah Thomas | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2.75 |
| Dwyane Wade | 2 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| Kyle Lowry | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4.75 |
| East - Frontcourt | Fan Votes |
|---|---|
| LeBron James | 1893751 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 1604463 |
| Joel Embiid | 922174 |
| Kevin Love | 909488 |
| Jimmy Butler | 691072 |
| East - Backcourt | Fan Votes |
|---|---|
| Kyrie Irving | 1696769 |
| Dwyane Wade | 979566 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 796112 |
| Isaiah Thomas | 755102 |
| Kyle Lowry | 471697 |
*finished with higher fan vote total
It is the 13th straight All-Star appearance for James, joining Dirk Nowitzki as the only active player to appear in more than 12. The four-time MVP is averaging 25.6 points, 8.1 assists, and 7.8 rebounds this season, and is the main reason why the Cleveland Cavaliers once again sit atop the East.
A front-runner for Most Improved Player, Antetokounmpo is in the midst of a terrific season for the up-and-coming Milwaukee Bucks, leading the team in points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks.
While the Bulls remain .500, Butler has continued to shine for Chicago, ranking third in win shares (7.7), eighth in VORP (3.3), and 10th in Box Plus-Minus (6.7).
After signing a five-year, $139-million contract this summer, DeRozan has responded with the best offensive season of his eight-year career, averaging a team-high 28.2 points on 47.5 percent from the field.
Irving has built off his terrific Finals appearance with another quality season for Cleveland, averaging 23.6 points and 5.6 assists on 40.5 percent shooting from deep.