With the 2022 calendar year over, many eyes are now on the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. On Thursday, the league announced its initial returns of fan voting. While there will be plenty of time for players to surge up and down the lists, the initial consensus from fans yielded quite a few surprises, as well as some intriguing potential first-time All-Stars.

As expected, big names dominated the lists. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are leading their respective conferences. They are the only two players with at least three million votes. Other players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokić are also in a great position to be starters in Salt Lake City on Feb. 19.

While the usual suspects were all there, some notable surprises popped up on the lists. Players such as Kevon Looney and Austin Reaves are now in contention after appearing in the top 10 among frontcourt and guards in the Western Conference, respectively. Even though they are a bit of a long shot, others have a real chance of making it to their first All-Star.

From a rookie to youngsters potentially leading their teams to the playoffs, some of them could be stars in the making. With that being said, here are four players who must become All-Stars for the first time in 2023 following the initial NBA fan voting returns.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Although the Oklahoma City Thunder are just 16-22, the team has its bright spots. Most notably, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having a career year and is very likely to make his first All-Star appearance.

This season, the Thunder's star guard is averaging 30.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds plus 1.6 steals and a block a night. He is shooting 49.7 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from the 3-point line, and 91.5 percent on his free-throw attempts. Gilgeous-Alexander is leading the Thunder in multiple categories, including points, assists, steals and free-throw percentage.

The 24-year-old is currently fourth in the league in points per game, just trailing Luka Dončić, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo, some impressive company to be listed among in terms of scoring output. OKC is still very much in rebuild mode, but Gilgeous-Alexander is producing some absurd numbers as the team's clear No. 1 option. The All-Star Game is the natural next step for SGA in his career trajectory, and based on his first-half performances, he should be a lock to represent the Western Conference.

Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

The only rookie to appear in the initial fan-voting returns was the Orlando Magic's No.1 overall Paolo Banchero. As the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Banchero entered the league full of expectations. So far, he is probably the most impressive rookie in the league.

The former Duke Blue Devil is putting up a rookie-best 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4 assists. He is shooting 43.6 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from the 3-point line and 75.6 percent on his free-throw attempts. He has scored 20-plus points in 22 games this season, the most among rookies.

For his performances, Banchero was selected as the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December. As of now, he is the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year Award. Even though the Magic are outside of the Play-In Tournament as of now, Banchero is giving fans hope for a brighter future in Orlando. The last time a rookie made it to the All-Star Game was in 2011 with Blake Griffin, so Banchero could be the first to do so in the past decade.

Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz

Prior to the 2022-23 season, many believed the Utah Jazz would be at the bottom of the league after the team's decision to trade away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. However, Utah has surprised the NBA early on this year and even led the West for some time. Currently, the team is 19-21 and 10th in the conference. A big part of that success has been Lauri Markkanen.

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The Finnish forward arrived in Utah in the package in exchange for Mitchell. In 37 games, Markkanen is averaging a career-high 23.9 points, 8.5 boards and 1.9 assists. He is hitting 52.8 percent of his field goals and 42.1 percent of his 3-pointers in what has been a breakout campaign for the 25-year-old.

Because the 2023 All-Star Game is in Salt Lake City, Markkanen might gain some extra force with fans and perhaps in the media and players voting too since he would potentially be the only Jazz representative in the event. Markkanen is certainly deserving of representing the West in the All-Star Game after the improvements he's made in 2022-23, and could very well be in the discussion for Most Improved Player this season, too.

Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers

Similar to Utah, the Indiana Pacers are having a surprising season. They are currently 21-18 and seventh in the Eastern Conference, ahead of organizations such as the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and Chicago Bulls. One of the anchors of this Indiana team has been playmaker Tyrese Haliburton.

The Pacers acquired the young guard last season in the trade that sent two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings. In 2022-23, Haliburton is averaging 20.6 points, 10.2 assists, and 4 rebounds as well as 1.8 steals per game. He's fourth in the NBA with 65 steals on the season and is the league leader in assists, registering as the only player to average more than 10 this year. 

Haliburton's display has been so impressive that he has even earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors in November. He also became the first player in NBA history to record 40 assists with no turnovers in a three-game stretch earlier this year, highlighting just how productive he's been in his first full season with the Pacers.