Norman Powell #24 of the Miami Heat looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center on January 04, 2026 in Miami. Megan Briggs Getty Images
Miami Heat guard Norman Powell believes he’s made his All-Star case this season, but the initial returns of fan balloting say otherwise.
The first returns of fan balloting for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game released by the league last week has Powell in 18th among East players with 100,390 fan votes. There are no other Heat players on the East’s top 20 list for the first returns of fan voting.
Fans account for 50% of the vote to determine the five players from each conference honored as starters for the Feb. 15 NBA All-Star Game, which will take place at Intuit Dome in the Los Angeles area.
All-Stars are being selected this season without regard to position, and voting for fans will conclude Jan. 14.
With Powell unlikely to be selected as a starter for this season’s All-Star Game, his All-Star fate will come down to what head coaches think.
The seven players honored as All-Star Game reserves from each conference will be selected by NBA head coaches.
Powell, who has never been selected for an NBA All-Star Game, is averaging a career-high 24.4 points per game on 48.8% shooting from the field and 42.1% shooting from three-point range in his first season with the Heat. He set a career high with nine three-point makes in Sunday night’s 125-106 home win against the New Orleans Pelicans, finishing the victory with 34 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field and 9-of-12 shooting from behind the arc.
“I think so, I think I definitely have made the case,” Powell, 32, said when asked whether he believes he has made his All-Star case so far this season. “I’ve learned last year not to get caught up in whether I make it or not. I want to make it, I think I deserve to make it. My peers around the league after games and things like that are telling me that I’m an All-Star and that I should be there. So hopefully it happens for me this year.”
Powell is one of only four NBA players who entered Monday averaging at least 24 points per game while shooting 48% from the field or better and 42% from three-point range or better this season. The other three players on that list are the Denver Nuggets duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant.
Under the new NBA All-Star Game format, two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (the World team) will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games for this season’s showcase event.
So, how exactly are the 24 NBA All-Stars (12 from each conference) determined?
While fans account for 50% of the vote to determine the five starters from each conference for the All-Star Game, all current NBA players and a media panel account for 25% apiece of the vote.
NBA head coaches select the seven players honored as All-Star Game reserves from each conference.
The process for assigning players to the two U.S. teams will be determined at a later date.
If NBA All-Star voting does not result in the selection of 16 U.S. players and eight international players (which can include American players with ties to other countries, if necessary), then NBA commissioner Adam Silver will select additional All-Stars to join either group to reach that minimum. In that case, at least one team would have more than eight players.
“The goal is to go out there and win and showcase all my hard work,” Powell said. “And leave it up to the fans, the coaches that make those decisions. I don’t know how much the media has in it. I know the voting has changed over the years, but my case is to go out there and help them win. And from doing that, if outside people believe I should make it, I’ll be there. But I do believe that I am an All-Star. I’ve always seen myself as that. And it’s something that I’ve always wanted to work toward in my career.”
INJURY REPORT
Heat guard Tyler Herro is listed as questionable for Tuesday night’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center (8 p.m., NBC and Peacock) after not playing in the past 11 games because of a right big toe contusion.
Herro was available and in uniform for Sunday’s win over the Pelicans for the first time since Dec. 9, but he didn’t play.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra explained the decision to have Herro in uniform despite knowing he wouldn’t play on Sunday as a move “to get the mindset ready for the next step.”
Along with not playing in 11 straight games, Herro has also missed 13 of the last 14 games with his toe injury. But he traveled with the Heat to Minneapolis for Tuesday’s game and his return is expected in the coming days.
The only two Heat players ruled out for Tuesday’s matchup against the Timberwolves are Jaime Jaquez Jr. (sprained right ankle) and Terry Rozier (not with team).
Keshad Johnson (low back spasms) and Nikola Jovic (left groin contusion) are listed as probable for the Heat.
The Heat’s three two-way contract players — Vlad Goldin, Myron Gardner and Jahmir Young— will all be with the team for Tuesday’s game in Minneapolis.