John Wall thinks trailing Kyrie Irving in All-Star votes is 'a joke'
Perhaps someone needs to explain to John Wall how the All-Star voting system works.
The Washington Wizards lead guard expressed his displeasure with the fact that he has garnered less votes than Cleveland Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving.
"It's a joke" Wall told CSN Mid-Atlantic's J. Michael on Sunday.
"No offense Kyrie, he's played (three) games. If he was healthy he probably would be in that position because he'd be playing well. I can see him there because that's how talented he is."
When the first returns for the 2016 NBA All-Star balloting were released, Wall - a two-time All-Star - appeared fifth on the list of top guards in the Eastern Conference.
Irving - a three-time All-Star - had 138,191 votes, outdoing Wall's 103,094. Wedged between Irving and Wall were Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler, with Dwyane Wade sitting atop the rankings for guards with 300,595 votes.
The system is not guided by merit, but rather by popularity, as All-Star starters are chosen by the amount of votes they receive leading up to the annual exhibition game. To this end, Boston Celtics floor general Isaiah Thomas and Charlotte Hornets wing Nicolas Batum would have a similar ax to grind since Jeremy Lin has surpassed them in votes due to the backup guard's global fame.
Credit Wall for acknowledging the potential impact of his early struggles on fans' willingness to nominate him for a spot in February's showcase in Toronto.
"I played like horseshit the first month and a half but I still was averaging like 16 and eight. That's not bad numbers," Wall said.
The Kentucky alumnus also points to the difference in team performance when comparing his 14-14 Wizards to Irving's 19-9 Cavs.
"I guess it's the record," he admitted.
Wall will have to lift his team to many more victories over the next few weeks if he wants to see an exponential growth in his vote tally.
With his salty determination as a backdrop, the Jan. 6 head-to-head between the Wizards and Cavaliers will certainly be worth watching.