Golden State Warriors Kevon Looney and Los Angeles Lakers Austin Reeves are in the top 10 in All-Star voting at their respected positions.
The first results of the All-Star voting pic.twitter.com/faDfABQR2y
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) January 5, 2023
Both players are having very good seasons. Looney has been one of the main pieces of the Golden State Warriors’ championship runs over the years. He doesn’t have those flashy numbers on the scorecard, but he does all the little things to make a team great. Looney is currently ranked 10th in All-Star voting for the Western Conference frontcourt.
This is Looney’s eighth season in the NBA as he was drafted by the Warriors in the 2015 NBA Draft. He played his college ball at the illustrious UCLA. Looney is having his best season to date. He’s only averaging 6.7 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game, career-highs in both stats. He has been helping the team a lot due to the absence of star point guard Stephan Curry.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is also an unlikely player for All-Star consideration. He ranks ninth in All-Star voting for the Western Conference backcourt. Reaves is a sophomore out of Oklahoma. The Lakers haven’t been playing well the past two seasons. Reaves has been one of the most exciting players to watch. Reaves is averaging a career-high 10.3 points and also contributing 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He has been a fan favorite this season.
Reaves has more fan votes than CJ McCollum of the New Orleans Pelicans and Looney’s teammate Jordan Poole. He’s in good company with those guys who are also having very good seasons. They both play more minutes and have better stats, so it’s no wonder other people are upset by the early fan vote.
Even though these are early fan voting results, it’s still nice to see players other than the usual suspects get some recognition from time to time. Both players would receive their first All-Star nominations in their respected careers if they receive more votes.
Both teams are likely to make the playoffs according to NBA betting sites. Maybe the improved performances from Reaves and Looney will help their teams pull it off.
