Consider it a fait accompli for KAT and JB to be part of the mid-season talent showcase.
The New York Knicks are on the brink of having two All-Stars for the second straight season following the release of the second round of voting results for the mid-season event.
With Julius Randle getting the call as a reserve last year but now in Minnesota, the centerpiece of New York’s blockbuster offseason trade in exchange for JR, Karl-Anthony Towns, is leading the charge for the Knicks this year.
Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson inched closer to crashing the top 3 among Eastern Conference guards.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić continue to lead their respective conferences in the second fan returns of #NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T.
Fans account for 50% of the vote to decide All-Star starters. Players and a media panel account for 25% each.
Next fan update:… pic.twitter.com/oQvm99AmE5
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 9, 2025
Towns has been nothing short of phenomenal in his first season with New York, and if you still have doubts about his fit within Tom Thibodeau’s team—well, I don’t think I can help you.
Bodega KAT is putting up 25.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, 3.3 dimes, and 1.9 stocks per game while shooting a scorching 55.2 percent from the field and 45 percent from beyond the arc—both career-best marks.
His December performances earned Towns the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award, which he more than deserved.
The second round of fan voting placed Towns firmly in the mix for a starting spot. With 1,872,228 votes, he ranks third among Eastern Conference frontcourt players, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum, and boasting a sizable lead over fourth-place Paolo Banchero (788,502 votes).
If KAT becomes an ASG starter, he’d be the first Knicks player to do so since Carmelo Anthony got such a privilege in 2016.
Jalen Brunson is catching up to Damian Lillard for #3 but he needs to get top 2 to be in starter territory pic.twitter.com/9a5u2tlcSi
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 9, 2025
Jalen Brunson seems to be facing longer odds to make it all the way to the starting five considering both his current placement and the fact that he will need to 1) keep getting fan votes in bunches and 2) get the media and fellow players’ support to make it there when all is said and done.
That said, Brunson ranks fourth among Eastern backcourt players with 934,860 votes, trailing LaMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell, and Damian Lillard with the latter in serious danger of dropping outside of the top 3 by the time the NBA releases the third and final round of results next Thursday.
Believe it or not, Brunson has been even better than last season—when he already cracked the ASG code for the first time in his career—averaging 25 points, a career-high 7.6 assists, and 3 rebounds per game while shooting an 47.7 percent from the field.
this game NEEDS new york all-stars‼️
Vote Knicks #NBAAllStar ⭐️️https://t.co/ZaYEPS04AT pic.twitter.com/qqIVa9mPmH
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 3, 2025
The ongoing fan voting accounts for 50% of the All-Star starter selection process, with the next update scheduled for Jan. 16. Knicks fans can still make an impact, with voting ending on Jan. 20. The media and players’ votes will be split into an even 25/25 percent and added to the fans’ votes to yield five starters per conference.
Following that date, TNT’s Inside NBA crew will reveal the starters on Jan. 23, although the final squads for the new four-team All-Star tournament won’t be known then and there.
The reserves, selected exclusively by NBA head coaches, will be announced on Jan. 30 confirming the full and final ASW roster for the 2024-25 season barring injury replacements.