Among frontcourt players in the Western Conference, Rockets center Alperen Sengun ranks No. 7 overall in All-Star fan voting, according to Thursday’s voting update released by the NBA.
Sengun is the only Houston player in the Top 10 rankings, which were released for both frontcourt and backcourt players. Sengun leads Spurs rookie and French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who sits at No. 8 in the rankings, by more than 100,000 votes.
The only frontcourt players ahead of Sengun are future Hall of Famers: LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers; Kawhi Leonard and Paul George of the Clippers; Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets; and Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns.
The fan vote accounts for half of the voting that determines All-Star starters. Players make up 25%, as does a panel of media members. Since only three frontcourt players start, Sengun is a longshot to earn that honor, since he already trails Jokic — currently at No. 3 in frontcourt fan voting — by well over a million votes.
Lakers’ LeBron James and Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the NBA’s first 2023-24 All-Star fan voting return: pic.twitter.com/PuLC37lMFN
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 4, 2024
However, Sengun could still qualify as a reserve. All 30 NBA head coaches are given a ballot to select three frontcourt players, two backcourt players, and two wild-card picks from each conference.
If selected, a reserve could eventually become a starter this year, should one of the starters be injured or choose not to participate. The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be held on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.
Just 21 years old and in his third NBA season, Sengun is averaging 21.5 points (54.7% FG), 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals in 32.0 minutes. As a team, Houston (17-15) is overachieving relative to its win-loss record expectations, and that could further bolster the All-Star case for its best player during a breakout season.
Fan voting for 2024 NBA All-Stars continues through Saturday, Jan. 20. Details on how to vote online are available here.
