The first returns for All-Star fan voting have been released and two of the names that stood out among the 40 listed include Alex Caruso and Tacko Fall.
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Thursday's release included the top 10 guards and top 10 frontcourt players in both the Western and Eastern Conferences.
The first returns from #VoteNBAAllStar 2020!
— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2020
Make YOUR vote count twice today by voting here ➡️ https://t.co/VMuxMjeZQO pic.twitter.com/qRzXqLxMti
Caruso ranked eighth among Western Conference guards while Fall is currently sixth among frontcourt players in the Eastern Conference.
Alex Caruso
Caruso has become somewhat of a niche icon given his dunking ability and contributions for a Lakers team that's currently atop the West.
Although he has yet to start, the third-year guard is averaging just under 20 minutes a game off the bench, averaging 5.4 points, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game. The high-flyer has had several notable throw downs, including this emphatic putback over the Nuggets back in December.
Of course, that's not the only one.
Alex Caruso is top 10 in All-Star voting for West guards pic.twitter.com/Q3lMVbQ3QI
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) January 2, 2020
Undrafted out of Texas A&M, the 25-year-old is one of four Lakers to appear on Thursday's reveal. The other three - LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard - have a combined 29 All-Star appearances.
Tacko Fall
Fall has played in only three games for the Celtics for a total of 11 minutes and yet has already cemented his status as a fan favourite with the Boston Celtics.
Check out the reaction when he subbed in for the first time at TD Garden as noted by Boston Globe writer Gary Washburn.
Tacko Fall makes his regular season TD Garden debut. #Celtics pic.twitter.com/aBq4rNxmwk
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) December 21, 2019
Also... don't let that limited playing time distract you from the fact that numbers never lie. Case in point?
Two NBA players are averaging better than a point per minute this season.
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) January 2, 2020
One is James Harden, who has 1,261 points in 1,239 minutes.
The other is Tacko Fall, with 13 points versus 11 minutes played.
The 7'5" centre out of Central Florida went undrafted before being picked up by the Celtics and has done most of his damage for the Maine Red Claws, Boston's G-League team. In 11 games, Fall has averaged 14.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 23.3 minutes per game.
Fall is among five Celtics to appear on the initial returns along with Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward.
The views expressed here do not represent those of the NBA or its clubs.