The Chicago Bulls possess the only duo in the league, clearing both the 20 points per game and 50.0 field goal conversation rate benchmark, yet neither of the two players were included in the NBA's first 2024-25 All-Star fan voting returns.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo are leading the NBA’s first 2024-25 All-Star fan voting returns: pic.twitter.com/eQeU60l673
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 2, 2025
LaVine's exclusion is puzzling
Those Bulls, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, received less than 120,000 and 145,000 votes in the early voting cycle, respectively. LaVine, a two-time All-Star, raked in fewer votes than notable names such as LaMelo Ball, Cade Cunningham, Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro, and Derrick White. LaVine bests all five aforementioned players in field goal, three-point, and true shooting percentage.
While LaMelo's flashiness is typically an important indicator of favoritism amongst fans, it's a rarity for a player suiting up for a bottom-dwelling squad to lead his conference position in All-Star votes. Despite the younger Ball's aesthetic game, the same can be said for the smooth-shooting LaVine.
Aside from his elegant shotmaking, LaVine remains one of the NBA's best dunkers, ranking 41st in the association with 28 jams. To paint a more compelling picture, LaVine ranks first in dunks of all players 6-foot-5 or under. At this juncture, Ball is likely out of reach for the 29-year-old swingman, but surpassing Poole, Herro, and White is attainable.
Poole is in the midst of a resurgent season but suffers from the same fate as LaMelo as he suits up for the second-to-worst squad in the NBA. His inclusion at all is more puzzling than any players on the list. Herro's inclusion isn't necessarily up for debate; he's having a career year, yet his numbers are similar to LaVine's across the board, albeit on slightly worse efficiency. Finally, White is a terrific glue guy, yet he's also a product of his environment, thriving on arguably the league's best team.
Vucevic faces an uphill battle to earn votes
Chicago's other snub, Vucevic, has less of an argument to creep into the top 10 of the East's frontcourt. Although Vooch is seeing a career resurgence, the Eastern Conference frontcourt is loaded with big names and strong production. A few injured stars, such as Paolo Banchero and Joel Embiid, have been included regardless of their limited appearances. Nonetheless, these are fan-voting returns, eliminating any need to meet an availability requirement.
The lone player miraculously ahead of Vucevic is nine-time All-Star Paul George. Sure, George is an accomplished player who is likely to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame someday. But All-Star voting shouldn't be based on past achievements (look where Steph Curry and LeBron James rank). George is having a miserable first season in Philadelphia, averaging 16.1 points while shooting 41.5 percent from the floor and 32.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Vucevic may not stack up with the 10 forwards and centers receiving the most votes, but his numbers speak for themself. The 34-year-old big man averages 20.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Besides his counting stats, the 6-foot-10 center is converting 55.9 percent of his field goals and 44.0 percent of his triples. Vucevic's numbers from his previous All-Star campaigns are eerily similar to this season.