Here we go again.
Last year Zaza Pachulia nearly snagged a starting spot on the Western Conference All-Star team, thanks to a fan voting push lead by Wyclef Jean and his home country of Georgia. Pachulia didn’t quite make it, but the incident was enough to scare the NBA into changing it’s selection process for All-Star starters, giving the media and players a 50 percent say in selections.
Despite that, Pachulia is again at the top of the early fan voting list for the 2017 All-Star Game released Thursday. Pachulia has received 439,675 votes, the second most amongst Western Conference front court players (SF, PF, C), over 100,000 votes behind first-place Kevin Durant.
First fan NBA All-Star ballot returns have been announced. Zaza after that All-Star spot again!!!! pic.twitter.com/5LkqJuo3HH
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 5, 2017
Pachulia is currently ahead of Kawhi Leonard (341,240), Anthony Davis (318,144) and teammate Draymond Green (236,315). Because of the new selection rules, it would be a near impossibility that Pachulia could actually nab a starting spot, unless he were to accumulate an even larger swath of fan voting.
Pachulia, 32, is averaging 5.2 points and 5.8 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game this season.
Stephen Curry is currently the leader amongst West guards with 523,597, while Klay Thompson sits in fifth with 293,054.