Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
All-Star voters turn away from Heat players
Team could be shut out for first time since 2004
MIAMI -- The question of whether the Miami Heat will be without an NBA All-Star for the first time since 2004 has been put on hold for a week.
As expected, no Heat players were among those announced Thursday as the starters for the Feb. 19 game in New Orleans, with those selections made through a combination of fan, player and media voting.
Instead, the Heat’s AllStar fate now rests in the hands of conference coaches, whose selections for the seven reserves on each roster to be announced next Thursday. Coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team.
The Heat went into the season with center Hassan Whiteside and guard Goran Dragic in consideration for potential All-Star breakthroughs. Instead, with the Heat falling to the bottom of the standings, voters turned away during balloting for the starting spots.
Named Eastern Conference All-Star starters Thursday were: Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler, Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan and Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving.
The five starters named for the Western Conference team were New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, Houston Rockets guard James Harden and Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
Whiteside finished 10th among Eastern Conference frontcourt players in the weighted vote, placing 11th in the fan vote, eighth in the media vote and 14th in the player polling.
Dragic finished 17th in fan voting, tied for 15th in player voting and did not receive a vote from the media panel in the East backcourt balloting.
Heat forward Chris Bosh, who has not played since midseason last season due to blood clots, finished 28th in Eastern frontcourt fan balloting, ahead of players such as Taj Gibson, Michael KiddGilchrist and Otto Porter. He did not receive player or media votes.
The only previous time since 2005 when the Heat did not have an All-Star starter was in 2015, the AllStar Game after James left in free agency, with Dwyane Wade and Bosh selected as reserves.
Conference coaches are now required to select at least two guards, three frontcourt players and then two players at any position on their ballots.
Based on the criteria that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he utilizes, it could be a difficult path for Whiteside to emerge as an All-Star reserve from the bottom of the standings.
“We typically go for guys that make an imprint on your mind,” Spoelstra said before his team faced the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. “I think that’s the biggest compliment, in terms of impacting winning and playing at an extremely high level. It’s the guys that just stand out in your mind; those are usually guys that are impacting winning.
“It’s usually what I think all coaches vote for, but I’ll have to go through that with my staff.”
In the East, the wildcard selections figure to include guards, as well, with the conference loaded at that position with the Boston Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas, the Washington Wizards’ John Wall, the Raptors’ Kyle Lowry and the Charlotte Hornets’ Kemba Walker.
Among frontcourt players in the East, the Cavaliers’ Kevin Love would appear to hold a solid shot amid Cleveland’s breakaway season, as would Paul George amid the Indiana Pacers’ winning season.
That could leave Whiteside in a race for a final All-Star spot with Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap and New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, among others.