Devin Booker ties for fourth in player All-Star voting for West guards
Jan 18, 2018, 4:48 PM | Updated: 9:54 pm
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) reacts after hitting a three-point shot during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, Dec. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)
(AP Photo/Steve Yeater)
It’s going to be challenging for Devin Booker to make the All-Star team in the Western Conference, but the voting for the starters revealed the 21-year-old has a strong rep around the league.
In the second year under a new format, the players vote that accounts for 25 percent of the total vote had Booker tie for fourth among Western Conference guards.
Booker finished with 27 votes from players, trailing the 146 votes for Stephen Curry, 141 for James Harden, 102 for Russell Westbrook and tying Damian Lillard’s 27.
Notable names Booker beat out include Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler, who are both considered favorites to make the team.
It was easily the best finish for Booker among the three voting totals that were calculated into the final decision.
He finished 10th in the fan voting and tied for seventh in the media vote (zero votes), placing him ninth overall among Western Conference guards.
Tyler Ulis’ two player votes were the only other votes for a Suns player outside of Booker.
With the NBA’s head coaches voting for the reserves, there’s a chance Booker’s reputation among those in the NBA could be enough for him to make the cut in a stacked West player pool.
There are four spots for Booker to make it as a reserve. There are two guard spots, three frontcourt openings and two wild card positions, which can be either a frontcourt player or guard.
On Tuesday, the reserves will be revealed on TNT at 5 p.m.
