Rockets star James Harden ranks second among West guards in 2020 NBA All-Star Game fan voting, while Russell Westbrook is at fifth.
Houston Rockets superstar James Harden is on course to be a starter in the NBA All-Star Game for a fourth consecutive year, according to the league’s initial release of fan voting totals.
Harden has been an All-Star in all seven of his completed seasons with the Rockets, and a starter in five of them.
Harden currently ranks second in fan voting among Western Conference guards, trailing only Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic, who hails from Slovenia and brings a significant international voting presence, leads the entire NBA in early voting results.
The fan vote accounts for half of the voting that determines All-Star starters. Players make up 25%, as does a panel of media members.
While the status of votes from the latter two groups is not yet known, it’s hard to imagine Harden not in the top two of West guards by any of those voting blocks. The 2018 MVP currently averages a league-leading 38.2 points per game, which is the highest total of any player in the last 56 years. He’s also in the NBA’s top 10 in assists at 7.5 per game.
Fellow Rockets guard Russell Westbrook, who is averaging 24.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, is fifth in the fan voting among Western Conference guards. However, barring an injury to Doncic or Harden, there wouldn’t appear to be a path for Westbrook to start.
However, Westbrook could still make the All-Star Game as a reserve. All 30 NBA coaches are given a ballot with the ability to select three frontcourt players, two backcourt players, and two wild-card picks from each conference. Westbrook has been an All-Star in eight of the last nine seasons, and he was the game’s MVP in 2015 and 2016.
Besides Harden and Westbrook, no other Rockets player is currently in the top 10 of fan voting totals. Fan voting continues through Jan. 20, with updated tallies to be released on Jan. 9 and Jan. 16. The game’s starters will be announced on Jan. 23, and the reserves on Jan. 30.
The 2020 All-Star Game will then be held on Sunday, Feb. 16 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
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