Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard did not get a starting position on the NBA All-Star squad thanks a fan vote for Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. No need to panic Blazers fans — it's just the starting lineup we're talking about here and not a matter of making (or being left off) the actual team.
As it turns out, Doncic is more of a crowd-favorite as compared to Lillard, which allowed the Mavs star to get the starting nod over Damian Lillard:
The fan vote gave Luka Doncic the starting nod over Damian Lillard.
Full voting breakdown for the Western Conference All-Stars: pic.twitter.com/oxJu8Lrq0M
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 19, 2021
As you can see on the voting breakdown above, both the players and the media ranked Damian Lillard higher than Doncic. However, since the All-Star festivities are for the fans after all, it is the fan ranking that ultimately determined who gets to start between the two stars.
Depending on where you're sitting, it would be easy to argue a case for either Damian Lillard, representing the Blazers, or Doncic of the Mavs. Both players have been playing some outstanding basketball to start the season and not many would contest having either of them as the West starter (or at least we think). If only there were three guard slots available in the starting lineup. Or maybe we can do a starting six?
One thing we can all (probably) agree on is that Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors absolutely deserves to be in the top spot, even more than Damian Lillard of the Blazers or Doncic of the Mavs. He was ranked first by the players, the media, and the fans unanimously — and rightfully so.
The All-Star Game is a go for March 7, despite the criticism the league has faced for going through with their plans amid a global pandemic. Entertainment is a welcome distraction from the misery of the pandemic and all of its many overwhelming problems. This tiebreaker is not a huge deal in the larger scheme of things.
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