DeRozan, LaVine remain among All-Star fan vote leaders

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The second round of fan voting returns for NBA All-Star 2022 are out, and DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine remain atop the Eastern Conference guard category.

DeRozan, with 2,973,854 votes, ranks first among East guards, and sixth in total votes, trailing only Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić.

LaVine, with 1,442,571 votes, is third among East guards, trailing DeRozan and Trae Young (by roughly 150,000 votes). But he did leapfrog James Harden, who ranked second when the first fan voting returns were announced.

Five All-Star starters from each conference are selected by a combination of fan (50 percent), media (25 percent) and player (25 percent vote). Then, head coaches select the reserves.

So, as of now, DeRozan is on pace to start the All-Star game for the third time in his career (2017, 2018), with LaVine not far behind.

An All-Star selection this season would be the fifth of DeRozan career, with the previous four coming during his Raptors years. LaVine, meanwhile, is gunning for his second. He was selected as an East reserve for the 2021 All-Star game in Atlanta.

The Bulls have placed multiple All-Stars 15 times in franchise history, most recently in 2015-16 when Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol both earned bids (they did so in 2014-15 as well). The last time the Bulls had an All-Star starter was also Butler, in 2017.

The last time they had two starters? Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in 1997. Twenty-five years ago.

But with an Eastern Conference-best 27-12 record, and the league's seventh and 11th-leading scorers in DeRozan and LaVine, they have a chance this season.

“Yeah, for sure," LaVine said after a recent practice when asked if the Bulls should have multiple All-Stars. "We’re number one in the East right now. We’re putting up great numbers. DeMar is having I feel like an MVP-type season. And I don’t feel like I’m that far behind him.”

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