The results of the first round of fan voting for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game are in and, to little surprise, Warriors megastar Steph Curry leads all guards with more than 2.7 million votes.
Former NBA center and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins largely was critical of the results and doesn’t think the reigning NBA Finals MVP should be in the top spot.
“I am extremely disappointed,” Perkins said on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Thursday. “I don’t know what else Ja Morant [has] to do to be in this conversation. And look, I don’t want the Bay Area fans coming at me, but I would actually replace Steph Curry with Ja Morant.
“When you think about Ja and what he’s been doing and you talk about box office, you talk about the most exciting player in the game today, it’s Ja Morant. When we look on social media, it’s Ja Morant highlights. When we look at which team is winning right now, it’s Ja Morant.”
The rest of the crew’s faces likely represent Dub Nation’s reaction to Perkins’ comments.
In Perkins' defense, though, it’s easy to forget what a player did last week or even a few games ago given how quickly the league moves. The NBA is seeing all-time performances from stars like Donovan Mitchell, Luka Doncic and others.
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Curry has been out due to a left shoulder subluxation since Dec. 14, so maybe Perkins forgot the type of show the four-time champion has been putting on this season.
Let this serve as a reminder.
The 34-year-old, in his 14th season, is averaging 30.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 26 games. He’s also shooting 50 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from deep. He put up 30 or more points in nine of the first 11 games he played this season and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.
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There's no telling what's to come from Curry as the season progresses and the postseason gets closer.
Plus, Dub Nation received promising news Wednesday when general manager Bob Myers revealed that they are eyeing a Jan. 13 target date for Curry's return, when the Warriors play the San Antonio Spurs at the Alamo Dome.
Nothing is set, of course, but maybe once the superstar returns, he can once again remind Perkins what he brings to the court.