Is Giannis Antetokounmpo going to be an All-Star captain?

The first All-Star voting returns are in, and Giannis Antetokounmpo leads all NBA players in votes.

Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the Eastern Conference and all NBA players in All-Star votes. The first returns have been reported today, in which Antetokounmpo actually leads over NBA superstars Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Antetokounmpo is currently having a stellar season, averaging 29.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He’s also shooting 54.9 percent from the floor. Those numbers alone ratify why Antetokounmpo has the most All-Star votes.

If Antetokounmpo maintains pace and remains the top vote-getter in the East, he will become their captain. The new system allows captains to select players from their conference’s All-Star player pool.

"Under the NBA’s new voting process, the two top vote getters in each conference — currently Antetokounmpo and Durant — will select rosters from a player pool. The fan vote, measured above, is worth 50 percent of the voting, while players and certain media members will also submit ballots, which will be worth 25 percent each. So each team’s captain must still pick players who would be All-Stars under the old format, but there are no longer conference restrictions."

Antetokounmpo’s rise has been a thing of fascination to NBA fans. The 6-foot-11 point guard has shown he could be ready to take the torch away from LeBron James. While detractors point to his lack of shooting, James wasn’t the best shooter at first, either. Of course, he developed into the all-around offensive wizard he is today.

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Antetokounmpo currently has the Milwaukee Bucks fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. The pending return of a healthy Jabari Parker could give the Bucks a much-needed boost. While leading the All-Star votes are great, winning conquers all to some. James learned the hard way. Hopefully, Antetokounmpo won’t have to.