We have now approached the midpoint of the 2023-24 NBA season and the third round of NBA All-Star voting results has come in. At the frontcourt, the Western and Eastern Conference are still led by LeBron and Giannis Antetokounmpo, respectively. However, the topic of interest is the West guard, which is topped by Luka Doncic with Steph Curry trailing behind in second position and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in third.
The difference in votes between Steph (2,616,154) and Shai (2,331,113) isn’t huge and there is every possibility for the December Player of the Month to catch up with Steph. The question is who will pull through the voting process and emerge victorious to start for the All-Star game at the guard position alongside Luka?
If based purely on voting, Steph might win
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Tas Melas of the No Dunks podcast believes that when it comes to voting alone, Steph will have the upper hand, but that doesn’t mean Shai isn’t worthy, “I think Steph will get it, I do think he will, just when it comes down to the votes….but obviously Shai is deserving.” Providing an interesting take, co-host J.E. Skeets says that there could be a tie in the weighted version of the votes and in this case, the fan votes will break the tie. Here, “Curry, in theory, then would start,” he says, considering Steph is a fan favorite.
Adding to this, c0-host Trey Kerby says, “Shai deserves to start for the way he’s played, but Steph Curry is a legend. So we’ll see.” However, there is a possibility that Shai could overtake Chef Curry through the media and player votes, which would then make him a starter instead. For those who are not aware, All-Star starters are determined by a weighted vote of 50% from fans, and 25% each from the media and players. Shai is giving Steph a tough time for the spot, and there is good reason why.
This is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s season
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It doesn’t take an expert to see the amount of improvement we have seen from Shai this season. The Player of the Month is unquestionably one of the league’s top two-way guards right now. In addition to putting up the same offensive output as last season, he has ramped up his stats in assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.7) and is playing excellent defense. Shai is leading the league in steals (2.2).
His ability to play multiple positions as a defender, playmaker, and three-level scorer is exceptional. Under these circumstances, it is no wonder why he is making Steph make a run for his money in the All-Star lineup. Shai for MVP? At this point, that doesn’t seem like an absurd question.
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Who do you think deserves to be the starting guard in the All-Star game based on this season’s performance? Has Shai surpassed Steph or is the Golden Boy still undefeated? Let us know!