Breaking down first round of NBA All-Star Game voting for Western Conference

We’re just still over a month away from the 2022 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland and the first returns for fan voting were officially released on Thursday.

Here’s where the Western Conference stands:

To no surprise, guard Steph Curry is the leading vote getter in the Western Conference with over 2,500,000 votes. The two-time MVP is very much in contention for a third as he’s had a resurgent year, averaging 26.8 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.3 rebounds this year as Golden State finds themselves at the top of the west standings.

Also to no surprise is LeBron James clocking in over two million votes as well. The Lakers have been a mess at times and with no Anthony Davis, the King has once again pressed into carrying the load. He’s averaging 28.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.5 assists a game. Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic sits right behind James in voting as he’s averaging a double-double in Denver.

Per these fan votes, both Ja Morant of the Grizzlies and Andrew Wiggins of the Warriors stand a good chance at becoming first-time All-Stars this season. Morant has been tearing it up as of late as the Grizzlies ride a six-game winning streak and Wiggins has been a solid starting contributor for the Warriors.

Interestingly enough, a few players out with injuries are still receiving votes. In the frontcourt, Paul George has received over a million votes even though he’s spent the better part of the past month nursing an elbow injury. Anthony Davis has been out since December 19 with an ACL sprain but still received over 500,000 votes. And then there’s Golden State’s Klay Thompson, who is fourth in guard voting despite not playing a single game this season.

We’ll see what changes in the west as the votes continue to roll in over the next month.