THE CANADIAN PRESS
ORLANDO, Fla. — Forward Andrea Bargnani and guards Jose Calderon and DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors are on the ballot for next month’s NBA all-star game in Orlando.
They are joined by Victoria guard Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets centre Samuel Dalembert and Miami Heat centre Joel Anthony, both of Montreal.
The NBA kicked off the balloting process Wednesday, just 11 days after the start of the regular season. Because the start of the campaign was delayed by the lockout, many teams have only played five games.
The ballot lists 24 guards, 24 forwards and 12 centres from each conference. Fans will select the starting lineups via text and online ballot.
The game will be played Feb. 26 at the Amway Center.
The voting will conclude Jan. 31 and the starters will be announced Feb. 2. There is no paper balloting this season for the first time.
All three Toronto players are looking to make their first appearance at the mid-season showcase.
Bargnani and Calderon are appearing on the ballot for the third time. Entering play Wednesday night, Bargnani ranked seventh in the NBA with an average of 22.6 points per game while Calderon was third in the league with an average of 9.8 assists.
It’s DeRozan’s second career appearance on the ballot. He represented the Raptors at the all-star weekend last year in Los Angeles by participating in the rookie-sophomore game and the slam dunk contest.
DeRozan is averaging 17.2 points per game this season.
The 120 players on the ballot were selected by a panel of media who regularly cover the NBA.
