As we enter 2015, the NBA just released the top vote getters for the All-Star Game being played Sunday, Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden. It will be held in New York for the first time since 1998, when Michael Jordan won MVP of the game.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the top three vote getters:
LeBron James, SF (775,810 votes) – 25. 2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 7.6 APG
No surprises here. It will be interesting to see how the Cleveland Cavaliers stay afloat for the next two weeks while LeBron nurses knee and back strains though. In a point forward role, the King’s numbers are down from last season as he is still in the process of developing the type of winning formula and chemistry with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, who has struggled heavily in his first season in Cleveland.
In a point forward role, he’s averaging more assists per game than Damian Lillard, Jeff Teague and Mike Conley. Most importantly, he is one of only three players in the league averaging at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists (James Harden and Russell Westbrook). Once he returns from the sidelines, the burden will be on his shoulders once again to lead the team to the NBA Finals in a wide open conference much like most predicted before the season began.
Stephen Curry, PG (755,486 votes) – 22.8 PPG, 7.7 APG, 5.0 RPG
A top three MVP candidate for sure, the 26-year-old Curry is having his best season yet under rookie coach Steve Kerr. He is still the game’s best shooter, has some of the best handles in the league and has now committed himself on the defensive side of the court, joining other point guards like Chris Paul, John Wall and Russell Westbrook. The Golden State Warriors have the best record in the league because of it.
Anthony Davis, PF (732,154 votes) – 24.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.9 BPG
After shining with Team USA in the summer, Davis continues to have a monster MVP-caliber type of season. There are so many things he is capable of doing on the basketball court, it’s hard to not see him winning a few MVP trophies by the time his career is over. The scariest facet of his game is that he’s only 21 years old and in just his third season has demonstrably grown into a top five player.
He set the tone in the New Orleans Pelicans’ first game of the season against Orlando, nearly collecting a triple-double with 29 points, 17 rebounds and nine blocks. He then set a career-high in points against the Utah Jazz with 43. Lastly, he outshined both James Harden and Dwight Howard in a road win, going for 30 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks. Needless to say, the sky is the limit for Davis.