MINNEAPOLIS – The third set of returns in the NBA’s All-Star balloting were released Thursday. Kevin Love, with 221,291 votes, is sixth among the Western Conference frontcourt, and Ricky Rubio, with 112,352 votes, is eighth among Western Conference guards.
Voting goes through Jan. 14, and fans will select the top three frontcourt players and top two guards in each conference to start the game. Starters will be announced Jan. 17, and coaches will select the reserves at a later date.
If the voting were to end today, the Thunder’s Kevin Durant, the Lakers’ Dwight Howard, the Clippers’ Blake Griffin, the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and the Clippers’ Chris Paul would be the top vote-getters, and thus starters, for the Western Conference. The Heat’s LeBron James, the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony, the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett, the Heat’s Dwayne Wade and the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo would be the top vote-getters in the East. Thus, every All-Star starter would play for a team that made the playoffs in 2012. Bryant leads the overall voting, with 1,177,456 votes. James is second, with 1,151,304.
With Love currently struggling and Rubio having played only five games, their All-Star hopes remain in serious question.
The 62nd NBA All-Star Game will take place on Feb. 17 at the Toyota Center in Houston.
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