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Most NBA observers thought Jalen Brunson was snubbed from the All-Star Game last season. His performance in the playoffs only added to the furor that a mistake had been made in his non-selection. The New York Knicks guard vowed to be even better and hopefully make it to the event in 2024.
With the All-Star voting results for the starters coming in, Brunson was again off the list. Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton will man the Eastern Conference backcourt. The two are joined by Jason Tatum, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the East starters.
Fans on X, formerly Twitter, promptly reacted:
“Lillard over Brunson? What is going on”
Fans (50%), players (25%) and select members of the media (25%) vote for the starters of the All-Star Game. The results showed that Haliburton ranked first in player, media and fan votes among Eastern Conference guards.
Damian Lillard was fourth in player votes, third from the fans and fifth from the media. Jalen Brunson got third, fifth and second under the same categories, respectively. Overall, Lillard pipped Brunson for the second starting guard berth in the East. The fan votes for “Dame Time” dragged him to that spot over Brunson.
Jalen Brunson is still expected to make it to his first All-Star Game as part of the reserve pool. With the way he has been playing, it’s almost guaranteed that he will be in Indiana next month to join the star-studded event.
Did Damian Lillard deserve starting guard spot over Jalen Brunson?
The fans have made their choice regarding who between Damian Lillard and Jalen Brunson should start for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. “Dame Time” had 2.2 million votes while Brunson had 1.4 million. The Knicks guard will have to earn his spot on the team via the coaches' votes.
The players and the media, however, agree that Brunson should have been the starter. He is undoubtedly the New York Knicks’ best player. Brunson is averaging career-highs in points (26.6 ppg), assists (6.5 apg) and steals (1.0 spg). The lefty is also hitting 47.5% of his shots, including 42.3% from deep as his team’s main weapon on offense.
Lillard, meanwhile, plays second fiddle to Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. The former Portland Trail Blazers star is averaging 25.3 ppg, 6.8 apg, 4.3 rpg and 1.1 spg. The seven-time All-Star is hitting 42.6% of his shots, including 34.7% from behind the arc.
Based on how they have played this season, Jalen Brunson is arguably more deserving of the starter’s role over Damian Lillard. The fans, however, have spoken and wanted Lillard to join the first five over Brunson.
