Deni Avdija’s All-Star fate is now officially in the hands of Western Conference coaches.
The Portland Trail Blazers’ forward did not earn enough votes to be named a starter for the NBA’s marquee exhibition event, landing outside the top five on ballots submitted by fans, media and players, whose combined votes determined All-Star game starters and were released late Monday morning.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama were named Western Conference starters.
The All-Star game is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 15, at 2 p.m. at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Avdija can still receive his first All-Star berth as a reserve, however, and his resume is as good as any player in the Western Conference.
“He’s having a hell of a season,” Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James said of Avdija after the Blazers beat the Lakers last week. “Should be an All-Star.”
The 6-foot-8 sixth-year forward is averaging 26.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game, while shooting 47% from the field, and his exceptional individual play has kept the Blazers (22-22) afloat as injuries threatened to sink their season. Twelve Blazers have combined to miss 245 games this season, which has forced Portland to play 28 games without a traditional point guard.
Avdija has not only filled the void, but also thrived as the team’s primary ballhandler and playmaker, reaching double-digits in assists 10 times and recording three triple-doubles. He is one of just three players in the NBA averaging at least 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists — joining Jokic and Doncic — and he’s the only player who ranks among the top seven in the league in both points (sixth with 1,073) and assists (sixth with 284).
Avdija also ranks second in free throws made (325), first in free throws attempted (404) and eighth in minutes played (1,446), even though he missed three games last week with a strained lower back, and he has scored 30 or more points 12 times this season, 14th-most this season.
All-Star game reserves are selected by a vote of coaches, leaving Avdija’s All-Star fate in their hands. They will select seven players from each conference.
“I first of all want to say I appreciate the fans,” Avdija said, when asked earlier this month about his All-Star chances. “Crazy. I saw that I was seventh on the votes, and people are actually, like, putting a lot of effort and voting for me and wanting me to be there. But it’s not in my control. I can only play and be focused on winning and playing good with the team. But I just appreciate the fan support around the world. That really gave me a chance to maybe be there. It’s a big honor.”
This year’s All-Star game features a new, three-team, round-robin format, which will include two teams comprised of U.S. players and a third made up of international players. According to the league, if voting results do not produce 16 U.S. players and eight international players, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select additional All-Stars to join either group to reach the minimum.
The starters were determined by weighted ballots, with fans (50% of the vote), current NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%) selecting the 10-player group without regard to position.
Avdija received the seventh-most fan votes in the Western Conference earlier this month, when the second batch of returns were tabulated.
The Eastern Conference starters include Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey.