My ballot: Here’s how one writer voted as NBA prepares to unveil All-Star Game starters

Jason Anderson
·4 min read

Starters and team captains for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game will be unveiled Thursday on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.”

NBA players and media once again joined fans in selecting starters for the 71st All-Star Game, which will be held Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Fans will account for 50% of the vote. Players and a select media panel will account for 25% each.

Those who were asked to participate in the media panel received official ballots from Ernst & Young, the global accounting firm that tabulates the votes. Voters were asked to select two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference.

Sacramento hasn’t had an All-Star since former Kings center DeMarcus Cousins was selected in 2016-17, but we still know one when we see one. Here’s how The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson voted.

Western Conference

Stephen Curry, G, Golden State Warriors

The two-time MVP and three-time NBA champion is averaging 25.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists for a Warriors squad that is second in the Western Conference with a 35-13 record. He eclipsed Ray Allen as the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-point goals in December.

Ja Morant, G, Memphis Grizzlies

The 22-year-old point guard is emerging as a star in his third season out of Murray State, averaging 25.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists. Morant and the Grizzlies have made a huge leap this season, going from eighth in the West to third with a 33-17 record.

LeBron James, F, Los Angeles Lakers

The four-time MVP is averaging 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists in his 19th season out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. James is the NBA’s second-leading scorer at the age of 37 with 1,346 regular-season games and 266 playoff games under his belt.

Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets

The reigning MVP is averaging 26.2 points, a career-high 13.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists for a team that is holding onto sixth in the West despite the absences of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. He had 49 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in a recent overtime win over the Clippers.

Rudy Gobert, C, Utah Jazz

Gobert has been better than ever this season, averaging 16.0 points, 15.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. He is on track for career highs in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage (.707). No one has averaged over 15 rebounds in the NBA since Dennis Rodman in 1991-92.

Eastern Conference

DeMar DeRozan, G, Chicago Bulls

DeRozan is leading the new running of the Bulls, averaging 26.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 49.7% from the field. Chicago is second in the East at 30-17, just a half-game behind the Miami Heat.

Trae Young, G, Atlanta Hawks

The 23-year-old point guard made his first All-Star appearance last season and could be selected as a starter this season. He is averaging 27.3 points and 9.3 assists while shooting career bests of 45.3% from the field and 38% from 3-point range.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks

The two-time MVP continues to show why they call him the “Greek Freak.” He is averaging 28.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 blocks for the Bucks, who are tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Kevin Durant, F, Brooklyn Nets

Durant is out with a sprained MCL, but he still deserves to be selected as a starter in the All-Star Game. He is averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists while hitting 52% from the field and 37.2% from 3-point range.

Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid is having one of his best seasons to keep the 76ers in contention despite the season-long absence of Ben Simmons. The 7-foot center is averaging a career-high 29.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 blocks.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Panthers take a 2-1 series lead over the Bruins, scoring 4 power-play goals in a 6-2 victory

    BOSTON (AP) — Vladimir Tarasenko and Carter Verhaeghe scored on the same Bruins double-minor, Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 14 shots and the Florida Panthers beat Boston 6-2 on Friday night and take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series. Evan Rodrigues scored twice, and Brandon Montour also connected for the Panthers, who have won back-to-back games after dropping the opener at home. A 6-1 winner Wednesday night, Florida scored 10 straight goals before Jakub Lauko made it 4-1 early in

  • Andrew Nembhard's late 3 gives Pacers 111-106 victory over Knicks. Indiana moves within 2-1

    INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Nembhard made a 31-foot, tiebreaking 3-pointer with 16 seconds left, Tyrese Haliburton scored 35 points and the Indiana Pacers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the banged-up and short-handed New York Knicks 111-106 on Friday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks still lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game 4 set for Sunday in Indianapolis. New York led by nine with 9:45 remaining and was in position to take a commanding 3-0 lead, bu

  • Knicks vs Pacers Game Highlights

    Tyrese Haliburton leads the Pacers with 35 points, 7 assists and 6 3PM to a 111-106 win over the Knicks in Game 4, 111-106. Pascal Siakam added 26 points and 7 rebounds in the victory, while Donte DiVincenzo (career-high 35 points, 7 3PM) and Jalen Brunson (26 points, 6 assists) combined for 61 points for the Knicks in the losing effort.

  • Suárez throws 7 scoreless innings, Castellanos and Rojas homer in Phillies 8-2 win over Marlins

    MIAMI (AP) — Ranger Suárez pitched seven scoreless innings, Nick Castellanos and Johan Rojas hit solo homers, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 8-2 Friday night. The game was played in front of a crowd of 15,119, the majority appearing to cheer for Philadelphia in Miami's first home game since trading two-time batting champion Luis Arraez to the Padres on May 4. Before the game, a handful of longtime Marlins fans gathered outside loanDepot Park to protest the state of the fran

  • Compher scores late, Campbell makes 21 saves for 2nd straight shutout as Toronto beats Minnesota 2-0

    TORONTO (AP) — Jesse Compher scored the go-ahead goal with 1:25 left in the game and Toronto beat Minnesota 2-0 on Friday night to take 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Professional Women’s Hockey League playoff semifinal series. Hannah Miller added an empty-netter with 10 seconds to play for top-seeded Toronto and Kristen Campbell earned her second straight shutout with 21 saves. Maddie Rooney stopped 28 shots for Minnesota. Game 3 is scheduled for Monday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesot

  • Crochet strikes out 11 to help the White Sox beat the Guardians 6-3

    CHICAGO (AP) — Garrett Crochet struck out 11 in six shutout innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-3 on Friday night for their third consecutive victory. Taking advantage of a costly error on second baseman Gabriel Arias, Chicago improved to 8-6 since its ugly 3-22 start. Korey Lee and Paul DeJong hit back-to-back homers in the seventh, and Andrew Vaughn went deep in the eighth for his first of the season. Crochet (3-4) allowed five hits and walked none in his second st

  • USPIS offering up to $150,000 reward for information on robbery of mail carrier

    USPIS offering up to $150,000 reward for information on robbery of mail carrier

  • Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl to play in Game 2 against Canucks

    VANCOUVER — Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl will play in Game 2 against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night. The 28-year-old German forward will start the game on a line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. Draisaitl said earlier in the day that he would be a "game time decision" after appearing to labour late in Edmonton's dramatic 5-4 loss to the Canucks Wednesday. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game the star forward was dealing with "cramping and equipment issues." Drais

  • Americans spending $33.5 billion for Mother's Day this year

    Mother's Day is around the corner and ABC15 is taking a look at how much Americans spend on the moms in our lives.

  • Family mourns teen killed in motorcycle crash

    Family and friends are mourning a teen killed in a motorcycle crash in Vista on Thursday.

  • Patrick Corbin gets 1st win of season, Nationals beat Red Sox 5-1

    BOSTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin allowed one run in five innings for his first victory of the season, Trey Lipscomb had a two-run single and the Washington Nationals beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Friday night. Corbin (1-3) allowed seven hits and a walk and had four strikeouts in lowering his ERA from 6.45 to 5.91. He allowed runners to reach in four of five innings, helped in the first when right fielder Victor Robles threw out a runner at home for the final out. Robles and Eddie Rosario each had t

  • ‘Mary & George’ Gets Even More Morbid, If You Can Believe It

    StarzEngland may have narrowly avoided a war with Spain in last week’s episode of Mary & George. But in Episode 6—the penultimate installment of the deliciously deviant limited series—the country, and all of the self-serving characters who inhabit it, are critically injured and bleeding out regardless. The constant power struggles fought by the malevolent matriarch Mary Villiers (Julianne Moore) and her equally capricious son George (Nicholas Galitzine) have waned now that they have gotten used

  • Northern Lights forecast: When and where to see the solar storm in UK

    The most powerful solar storm in almost 20 years hit Earth on Friday night, with the Northern Lights visible across much of the UK.

  • US energy secretary to visit Saudi Arabia, UAE next week, officials say

    The visit will run from Tuesday through Thursday, with Granholm visiting the UAE first, one of the officials said. "Specifically, for the Department of Energy, it will move forward work both countries are doing on climate cooperation and to diversify the energy economy." Granholm will participate in a meeting of the Net-Zero Producers Forum, a group of countries representing 40% of global oil and gas production, including the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the sources said.

  • BREAKING: Four universities in Halifax release memorandum to school administrators: divest and disclose funding ties to Israel

    On Friday, May 10, student groups from four Halifax universities–NSCAD, Dal, King’s and SMU–formed a shared group online, called Students for the Liberation of Palestine. In a post, they call on their universities “to immediately disclose and divest from any investments that sustain settler-colonial projects, including the Zionist state known as Israel.” A post shared by Students for the Liberation of Palestine - Kjipuktuk/Halifax (@students4liberatedpalestinehfx) As of this article’s publicatio

  • Clarke Schmidt helps pitch Yankees past Rays while matching longest career outing

    TAMPA, Fla. — Clarke Schmidt has made it known that he wants to go deeper into games. He did exactly that on Friday, blanking the Rays for 6 2/3 innings at Tropicana Field in a 2-0 Yankees win. The series-opening outing matched the longest of Schmidt’s career and set a new standard for the 28-year-old this season. Coincidentally, Schmidt’s only other 6 2/3-inning performance came in Tampa last ...

  • ‘Stunning’ Northern Lights spotted across the UK

    The Aurora Borealis has been spotted in Whitley Bay on the north east coast, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Wokingham in Berkshire.

  • Sean Burroughs, Gold Medalist and Former MLB First-Round Pick, Died Before Heading to Coach Son's Little League Game

    The former MLB player died of cardiac arrest on Thursday, his mother said

  • Three women rescue neighbor from potential murder

    Three women at a salon save their neighbor from two crazed attackers and help police arrest them.

  • What to know about northern lights in California

    Parts of the country, including Northern California, could see the Northern Lights on Friday because of a severe solar storm.