The second round of All-Star voting results have returned and the Wizards lack the representation to say the least. Kyle Kuzma is the only Wizards representative, as he placed seventh in the Eastern conference frontcourt voting.
Lakers’ LeBron James and Nets’ Kevin Durant continue to lead in the NBA’s second fan voting returns for the All-Star Game: pic.twitter.com/naVKXu2xot
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 12, 2023
All-Star voting is not extremely significant in regards to who the best players are within the league, but it is indicative on who is popular and what fanbase supports their players. Kyle Kuzma is a celebrity, especially from his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. His voting can be the support of Wizards fans, but it is most likely due to his social media presence.
Kuzma is a fan favorite, but his subtle trade request has Wizards fans knowing he is not here for the long haul (We understand). The biggest takeaway should be the lack of no Bradley Beal in the top 10. Beal is getting paid as though he is one of the top players in the league. However, he cannot garner at least 227,000 votes.
A superstar contract without a superstar fanbase. Some might look at it as the fanbase do not get behind their star player, but that is not the case. He just does not have the star power that others have that can touch other markets.
Another noticeable omission is Kristaps Porzingis; who actually has a case to be an All-Star this season. He played in New York before and has an international presence, but couldn’t muster up more votes than Nic Claxton. The Wizards are suffering from a lack of a presence outside of D.C.. The best player and internationally known player can’t crack the top in All-Star voting. This is somewhat of a sad case that highlights where they are at the moment. Hopefully, the Wizards can get Porzingis in with the coaches because the voting seems unlikely for the now and who knows how long that will continue.