NBA All-Star voting: Suns’ Booker behind bevy of West guards

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Devin Booker sits just ahead of Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves in the first returns of 2023 NBA All-Star fan voting.

The Phoenix Suns guard is eighth among Western Conference guards overall, and it’s a reminder that Booker’s strong start to 2022-23 will likely leave him making it as a reserve.

Stephen Curry (2.7 million), Luka Doncic (2.4 million), Ja Morant (915,507), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (911,774), Klay Thompson (514,104), Russell Westbrook (448,224) and Damian Lillard (314,158) all have more votes than Booker.

Phoenix’s star, who is out until at least late January with a groin injury, tallied 224,961 votes upon the first returns.

Booker, a three-time All-Star, is averaging a career-best 27.1 points to go with 5.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game.

The Lakers’ Reaves has accumulated 144,520 votes. He and Westbrook are very much All-Star long-shots receiving a boost from playing in a big market.

Fan voting accounts for 50% of the total vote that goes to the five starters in each conference, while NBA players and media will weigh into the final voting 25% each.

Friday marks a three-for-one voting day, where fan votes count as three votes each.

Head coaches pick the reserves after the starters are named.

Lakers forward LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant lead each conference in voting. The leaders at the end of the voting process will be named captains and draft their teams.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant lead their respective conferences in the first fan returns of #NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T.

Fans account for 50% of the vote to decide All-Star starters. NBA players and a media panel account for 25% each.

The next fan update is Jan. 12. pic.twitter.com/osVeUGI8H4

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 5, 2023

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