Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 1/12/16

The window to cast votes for the the 2015/16 NBA All-Star game closes on January 18th, and the starters for both conferences will be announced on Thursday, January 21st. The league revealed the latest standings this past Thursday, and Kobe Bryant, who is set to retire at season’s end, leads all players in fan votes by a solid margin. While it may be virtually impossible to argue that Bryant deserves to be an All-Star, much less a starter, based on his play this season, the All-Star game is an exhibition for the fans, and by that standard the Mamba should certainly deserve an invite.

The inclusion of Bryant will likely mean that a more deserving player, based on performance this season, will be watching at home rather than participating. But this is hardly a unique situation, and deserving players are omitted every season. Such are the difficulties in playing in a talent-laden league like the NBA. The All-Star game is also a fan-driven event, and as a result there are occasionally some players voted in due to their popularity who haven’t quite performed like All-Stars. This makes for an opportune time to segue into the question/topic for today:

Which Eastern Conference frontcourt player listed below is the LEAST deserving of All-Star consideration?

Listed below, courtesy of the NBA’s official press release, are the top frontcourt vote recipients along with their vote totals:

  1. LeBron James (Cavaliers) — 636,388
  2. Paul George (Pacers) — 457,554
  3. Andre Drummond (Pistons) — 261,158
  4. Carmelo Anthony (Knicks) 255,536
  5. Pau Gasol (Bulls) 209,006
  6. Chris Bosh (Heat) 194,429
  7. Kevin Love (Cavaliers) 172,517
  8. Hassan Whiteside (Heat) 168,549
  9. Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks) 160,170
  10. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 48,768
  11. Jonas Valanciunas (Raptors) 30,023
  12. Marcin Gortat (Wizards) 27,185
  13. Joakim Noah (Bulls) 23,121
  14. DeMarre Carroll (Raptors) 22,797
  15. Paul Millsap (Hawks) 21,625

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

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