Kuz is one of the league’s top vote-getters among Eastern Conference forwards.
The NBA released the results of the first round of All-Star fan voting on Thursday. Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James led all players with more than two million votes each, with Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Luka Dončić, Stephen Curry and Tyrese Haliburton all receiving more than a million votes each .
A pleasant surprise for Wizards fans was Kyle Kuzma’s strong All-Star campaign in terms of fan voting. Kuz placed ninth among all Eastern Conference forwards in the first round of voting with nearly 179,000 votes, just below former Wizards teammate Kristaps Porzingis.
Kuzma is having a career year this season, averaging points per game (22.8) and assists per game (4.3) while grabbing 6.1 rebounds per game. He makes very solid splits (46.8/35.7/76.8%) given the Wizards’ struggles with spacing and his new role as a first option offensively. Although much of his hard work goes unnoticed nationally given the Wizards’ poor record, Kuzma deserves to be considered for a spot in the All-Star Game.
Kuzma’s strong fan support is indicative of the loyalty of Wizards fans, as he garnered more votes than a handful of arguably more deserving players. Kuzma received more votes than Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the two Orlando Magic players who could both receive invitations to Indianapolis. He also garnered more votes than Scottie Barnes, who I’d say is more likely to start than miss the game entirely.
I think Kuzma deserves an All-Star spot, but the league is so stacked with talent that it’s much more likely he waits another season for his first career selection. My picks for the All-Star team will be available soon, so stay tuned!
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