The NBA season is about a quarter of the way gone already (yeah, that felt extremely fast), so we now have a somewhat clear perspective of what's going on in the league this season. NBA All-Star voting opened up on Thursday, so fans can now vote for their favorite players to be All-Star starters in the February game in Toronto. We know Kobe Bryant will most likely be a starter, but he doesn't exactly deserve it, so here is a list of six players who should be voted in as starters but likely won't be.
1) Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat: The Miami Heat currently sit at number six in the Eastern Conference, but sixth in the East is just 1.5 games out of first. Miami looks like one of the top teams in the East, though, and one of the big reasons why is their center Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside is averaging 12.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game to go along with his elite rim protection. Miami's center is top 15 in the league in PER with his 24.7 and has been, and will continue to be, integral to Miami's success, so a starting nod is warranted for the 26-year-old.
2) Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz: The Utah Jazz currently sit in the seventh spot in the Western Conference in a year when many people picked them as a sleeper playoff team out West. Utah has been without Rudy Gobert, its best defender, for six games now and have gone 3-3, and a big reason why is Favors. Favors has been great so far this year, as he is averaging 17.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. The 24-year-old power forward has really come into his own this season, and although he likely won't be voted in as a starter he deserves to be, as he ranks seventh in the NBA with his PER of 26.
3) Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs: Now this is an interesting addition to the list, because everyone knows about Kawhi Leonard and how great he is, but they may not realize just how great he is. Leonard is a quiet, introverted guy, so that may keep him from becoming as popular as he should be, but he was the NBA Finals MVP two seasons ago and won Defensive Player of the Year last year, yet he is in the midst of the best season of his career. The Spurs have the second best record in the NBA, and it's partially because Leonard has played like an MVP candidate on both sides of the floor. Leonard's offense has caught up with his defense, as he is averaging 20.9 points per game, and his 26.1 PER, which is sixth in the league, warrants a starting spot in the All-Star game, but unfortunately he will likely be behind Kobe and Kevin Durant.
4) Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics: The Boston Celtics struggled a little bit out of the gate, but they have rebounded and look like a team that could make some noise in the East. Boston is one of the best defensive teams in the league, but they wouldn't be where they are without point guard Isaiah Thomas. Thomas has forced his way into the starting lineup for Boston after being a sixth man for a long time, and he has rewarded them by having a tremendous start to the season. The diminutive guard is averaging 21 points per game, has clearly been Boston's best player and his 22.8 PER is top 20 in the league, so not only should he be in the game, but he deserves some votes to be a starter.
5) Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves: OK, so this one may be a little strange because Towns is a rookie and his team isn't all that good, but he definitely does deserve some consideration as an All-Star starter. First and foremost he has been great this season, as he is averaging 15.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, while his PER of 21.9 sits just outside of the top 20 in the NBA. Another thing to consider here is the competition at center in the West. I know they do frontcourt and backcourt for voting now, which means Kevin Durant could start at center which will likely hurt Towns' case, but he has been one of the top big men in the West. Some people might argue Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins over Towns, but they have both missed time due to injuries, and their teams are even worse than the Timberwolves, so while Towns is a longshot and may not even make the team at all, he deserves a look at the very least.
6) Nicolas Batum, Charlotte Hornets: This might be the biggest long shot of them all in terms of starters, but Batum has meant everything to the Hornets this season. Kemba Walker has the bigger numbers, but Batum is the biggest reason the Hornets are currently in second place in the East as he does everything for them. Batum's numbers are also quite good, as he is averaging 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The Hornets definitely deserve to be represented, and Batum is the guy I would choose, as he has been the biggest game-changer for them this year and is a huge reason why they have been so good.
