Multiple Pacers Stars Snubbed in Early All-Star Voting Returns

Jeremy Hanna | Jan 2, 2025

Dec 31, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) reacts to a call in the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

This season has not been quite what Indiana Pacers fans have expected.

After a strong showing and making it to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals last season, Indiana is currently sitting at eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a losing record of 16-18.

Still, there have been excellent performances this season from the likes of point guard Tyrese Haliburton and power forward Pascal Siakam. However, none of these performances seem to appeal to fans in the All-Star vote.

The NBA's first 2024-25 All-Star fan voting returns are in, and not a single player from the Pacers has made the list, per Shams Charania of ESPN.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo are leading the NBA’s first 2024-25 All-Star fan voting returns: pic.twitter.com/eQeU60l673

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 2, 2025

The most surprising absence has been Haliburton. While he's not performing quite at the same level as last season where he led the NBA in assists, he is still one of the top point guards playing the game today.

A two-time NBA All-Star, Haliburton is currently averaging 17.6 points, 8.6 assists, 3.7 total rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. He is also one of seven players who has started in 34 games this season.

Haliburton's snub is notable because, while he isn't leading the NBA in assists this year, he is currently second in total assists by a decent margin while also remaining in the top five for assists per game. Sure, his output isn't quite the same as last year, but he is still an elite point guard.

Another standout player for Indiana who has started all 34 games is Siakam, who is averaging 19.9 points, 7.2 total rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. He is, without a doubt, one of the top power forwards playing right now.

The two-time All-Star and former Most Improved Player is currently the top scorer on the Pacers and also leads the team in total rebounds alongside center Myles Turner.

At the moment, there are only two power forwards who are scoring better than Siakam: Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks (32.6 points per game) and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics (28.3 points per game). They currently have the first and second-most votes in the Eastern Conference respectively.

Needless to say, Haliburton and Siakam have done more than enough to be worthy of an NBA All-Star spot. Unfortunately, they'll likely have to turn things around for the Pacers in order to get the attention they deserve.

More Pacers: Indiana Head Coach Rick Carlisle Calls Out Team for 'Abysmal' Blown 19-Point Lead vs Bucks