A surprise new entrant could soon be coming to an All-Star Game near you.
The NBA released its second round of All-Star voting on Thursday. One of the most notable developments was the rise of Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso, who is now 10th among guards in the Western Conference.
Lakers’ LeBron James and Nets’ Kevin Durant continue to be leaders in second round of NBA All-Star Game fan voting. Warriors‘ Stephen Curry and Wizards‘ Bradley Beal leaders at their position too. pic.twitter.com/rCe7VBQp1z
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 11, 2021
Caruso’s ascendance led to some funny reactions on Twitter. Caruso is a beloved local cult hero in L.A. but one who is otherwise lacking All-Star credentials. Many also questioned players who have missed time like Ja Morant or who are out for the season entirely like Klay Thompson ranking ahead of counterparts like De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Take a look:
Caruso moving in to the top 10 in All-Star voting in the West backcourt like
pic.twitter.com/TABjdWDH8t— LakeShowScoop (@LakeShowScoop) February 11, 2021
Yeah i see why people want to get rid of fan vote
— paul (@_paulhateslife) February 11, 2021
DeMar DeRozan questioning life rn pic.twitter.com/gjNLmKWqVF
— S P A C E C A D E T (@bay_tompa) February 11, 2021
But Fox not even on the list… pic.twitter.com/fZkSxpPPTy
— Fay Jones {@Fayjones2000) February 11, 2021
Seeing Ja Morant, Klay Thompson, and Alex Caruso ahead of De’Aaron Fox in the fan vote #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/pKY6tcjRDD
— Cash Money Pelicans (11-13) (@CashMoneyPels) February 11, 2021
We really let Alex Caruso jump SGA in the All-Star voting pic.twitter.com/nlsu8iVR3q
— Mateo Gallardo (@salvadoranart) February 11, 2021
For Caruso, he is a marquee defender for his position and plays a pivotal role for the defending champion Lakers. He also has a cult following unlike any other player in the NBA. But one need not look further than Caruso’s averages this season of 5.5 points and 2.1 assists per game to realize that there are many more deserving All-Star candidates.
In any case, fan voting only counts for 50 percent of the total vote. That was a change implemented by the league recently when another improbable cult hero almost made it to the All-Star Game.
