If the 2017 All-Star Game were to start this very day, Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia would be starting in the game next to his teammate Kevin Durant.
It seems like Pachulia once again has had the unconditional support of the entire country of Georgia frantically voting to see their hero in one of the NBA's biggest festivities.
The 6-foot-11 center is second in fan voting for the West frontcourt starters with 439,675 votes, second only to Durant's 541,209 and followed by the likes of Kawhi Leonard (341,240) and Anthony Davis (318,144).
LeBron/Kyrie and KD/Curry lead first returns of #NBAAllStar Voting presented by @Verizon!
Vote: https://t.co/7SYpaqHa1f & NBA App. pic.twitter.com/ofvgaJERkT
— 2017 NBA All-Star (@NBAAllStar) January 5, 2017
Pachulia is averaging 5.2 points and 5.8 rebounds through 32 games this season, averages that are dwarfed by the likes of DeMarcus Cousins (28.6 points, 9.9 rebounds per game) or his other teammate, Draymond Green (10.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 2.1 steals, 1.2 blocks per game).
This is the blueprint incident that the NBA has tried to avoid with the 50-25-25 split between fan voting, select media members, and players weighing in to who should be selected to start for their respective conferences. This very scenario also happened last year and the panel of Inside the NBA was notoriously adamant on making a change, given how Pachulia's performance couldn't possibly stack up to the other All-Star candidates on the ballot.
It would be hard to believe that media members and fellow players would concur on Pachulia being deserving of being a starter for the West, so hopefully the balloting change will have its desired effect in this All-Star Game.
But in case you're reading this from the far away lands of the Republic of Georgia…
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