Ben Simmons needs Australia’s help to create NBA All-Star history
BEN Simmons is within reach of becoming an NBA All-Star in his rookie season after the first voting stage, but he needs Australia’s help to create history. VOTE for Simmons here!
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BEN Simmons is within reach of becoming an NBA All-Star in his rookie season after the first voting stage, but he needs Australia’s help to create history.
Simmons has amassed 210,085 votes after the First Returns in the Eastern Conference, placing him in fourth position out of Eastern Conference guards.
The Melbourne-born Philadelphia sensation has to finish in the top two to give himself the best chance to make the All-Star team, but he has time to chase down the leading pack.
Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving is the runaway leader with 802,834 votes, but with Australia’s assistance Simmons can catch Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan (259,368) and Indiana’s Victor Oladipo (210,085).
So Australia, it’s now your turn to ensure our very own Big Ben plays on the All-Star stage.
In a further boost, your votes before 4pm on Friday will count as double.
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In the front court, Milwaukee fan favourite Giannis Antetokounmpo and Cleveland’s LeBron James are leading the way.
James is on track for his 14th straight All-Star selection having accumulated more than 856,000 votes.
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In the Western Conference, Golden State Warriors teammates Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are leading the frontcourt and backcourt voting.
This season the NBA has scrapped the classic East-West format for this year’s game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 18.
Instead, the league and the National Basketball Players Association agreed to a new setup that will combine starters and reserves into a combined pool of participants.
Those players will be selected in a draft by the two leading vote-getters, who will be appointed captains for the respective sides.
And just like last year, the selections won’t be left entirely up to the supporters.
Fans will comprise 50 per cent of the vote, while players and select members of the media will each make up 25 per cent of the final tally.
Captains and starters will be announced January 18 on TNT, while reserves, as voted on by NBA head coaches, will be revealed on January 23.
If Simmons doesn’t gain a starting All-Star position, he could earn a reserves call-up.
The final All-Star teams will be unveiled on January 25 on TNT (7pm. AEDT), but it’s unclear if the order of the captains’ picks will be revealed.
HOW TO VOTE FOR BEN SIMMONS
You can fill out one ballot each day
NBA APP
The app is available through Android and iOS
Post Ben Simmons #NBAVOTE on your Facebook account once per day
Tweet, retweet or reply to Ben Simmons or @BenSimmons25 with the hashtag #NBAVOTE once per day
GOOGLE SEARCH
Search “NBA Vote All-Star” or “NBA Vote 76ers” and vote once per day
Originally published as Ben Simmons needs Australia’s help to create NBA All-Star history
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