NBA 2018-19: 3 surprising names in the All-Star voting first returns

This year's All-Star game is still more than a month away from now but the fans are already getting excited about the event. The game will be played at the Spectrum Center, Charlotte. This is the second time the format will not be West vs East.

Last night, NBA has released the All-Star 2019 voting first returns and there were several names that raised few eyebrows. Expectedly, it was LeBron James who received the highest number of votes - 1,083,363. From the East, the 'Greek Freak' Giannis Antetekounmpo received the highest votes - 991,561.

Let us take a look at three surprising names in the All-Star 2019 voting first returns.

#3 Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball is in his second season in the NBA. A lot was said about Lonzo and his skill when he was coming into the NBA and it is safe to say that he has underperformed so far. Last season, he did not put great numbers and ended up in the All-NBA second team.

Ball is known for his ability to pass the ball but he is a very poor three-point shooter. This season, playing alongside LeBron James, his numbers are pretty much the same as last season and he is not doing anything special.

He is averaging 9.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game this season. These are not eye-catching stats, and definitely not the kind of stats you expect from an All-Star capacity player.

With all the hype around Lonzo, maybe people are just giving him extra attention and are overreacting. He has not had any standout performances in the NBA so far although he has been good in patches.

Los Angeles Lakers' fan base is probably the biggest one and so, it makes sense that their starting point guard Lonzo Ball is receiving a lot of votes from the fans. However, the fans' votes are not the only ones that will validate his position in the All-Star game.

#2 Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin ruptured his patella tendon in the season opener last year and missed the entire season

Jeremy Lin has been in the NBA for quite some time and has played on multiple teams. The 30-year-old's career has been plagued with injuries and last year, he ruptured his patella tendon in the season opener and missed the entire season.

In the off-season, he was traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Atlanta Hawks, along with draft picks, in exchange for the draft rights to Isaia Cordinier and a future second-round pick. Playing on a new team, Lin struggled initially but looked okay in November.

He has been mostly scoring in single-digits and is definitely not looking like the player he once was. The Hawks are currently placed at 12th spot in East and in all likelihood, they will miss the playoffs this year.

This is definitely a surprise that Lin has received some love in the first returns, considering the fact that he has not been very great this year and the Hawks are still one of the worst teams in the league. He has received 62,573 votes in the first returns.

#1 DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins hasn't played a game yet this season

This has to be the most surprising inclusion in this list. DeMarcus Cousins last played in the NBA on January 26, 2018 against the Houston Rockets. In the closing minutes of the game, he tore his left Achilles tendon and was helped off the floor by teammates.

He was ruled out for the remainder of the season and subsequently underwent surgery. In the off-season, Cousins turned the league upside down when he decided to join the two-time defending NBA champions, Golden State Warriors on a one-year, $5.3 million deal.

Cousins is currently getting closer to making a return to the NBA and a couple of days ago, the center went through full practice with the team. However, as a player who has not yet played in a single game this season, it is surprising that he has received 92,977 votes. However, it can be attributed to the huge Golden State Warriors fan base all around the world, and the fans would probably want to see five of their players in the All-Star Game this time around.