NBA 2018-19: 3 surprising names in the All-Star voting first returns
This year's All-Star game is still more than a month away from now but the fans are already getting excited about the event. The game will be played at the Spectrum Center, Charlotte. This is the second time the format will not be West vs East.
Last night, NBA has released the All-Star 2019 voting first returns and there were several names that raised few eyebrows. Expectedly, it was LeBron James who received the highest number of votes - 1,083,363. From the East, the 'Greek Freak' Giannis Antetekounmpo received the highest votes - 991,561.
Let us take a look at three surprising names in the All-Star 2019 voting first returns.
#3 Lonzo Ball
Lonzo Ball is in his second season in the NBA. A lot was said about Lonzo and his skill when he was coming into the NBA and it is safe to say that he has underperformed so far. Last season, he did not put great numbers and ended up in the All-NBA second team.
Ball is known for his ability to pass the ball but he is a very poor three-point shooter. This season, playing alongside LeBron James, his numbers are pretty much the same as last season and he is not doing anything special.
He is averaging 9.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game this season. These are not eye-catching stats, and definitely not the kind of stats you expect from an All-Star capacity player.
With all the hype around Lonzo, maybe people are just giving him extra attention and are overreacting. He has not had any standout performances in the NBA so far although he has been good in patches.
Los Angeles Lakers' fan base is probably the biggest one and so, it makes sense that their starting point guard Lonzo Ball is receiving a lot of votes from the fans. However, the fans' votes are not the only ones that will validate his position in the All-Star game.