The NBA released its first round of fan voting results this morning for the '11 All-Star game.
Guards:
Kobe Bryant (Lakers) 722,682
Chris Paul (Hornets) 386,649
Manu Ginobili (Spurs) 230,137
Steve Nash (Suns) 190,226
Deron Williams (Jazz) 184,148
Jason Kidd (Mavericks) 141,283
Russell Westbrook (Thunder) 140,519
Eric Gordon (Clippers) 113,510
Tony Parker (Spurs) 103,238,
Derek Fisher (Lakers) 81,088
It's kind of weird. As staunchly as I've defended Chris Paul as an All-Star starter in years past, Deron Williams has a case this year. Williams is playing almost 4 minutes a night more than Paul, and has a usage rate almost 6 percentage points higher. That has to count for something.
Ultimately, I still give the edge to Paul. He's been the league's most efficient player by most measures, and it's enough to cancel his lower usage rates. More importantly, he's having a fantastic defensive season- at the head of the Western Conference's top defense. But Williams is right up there with him; a lot can still change between now and February.
I'll have some more on the centers later, so let's keep it to discussing point guards in this thread.