By Bailey Knecht, sports columnist

I’ll admit it. I don’t take part in NBA All-Star voting. I prefer to stand by silently during the voting process and then rant about the results that I could have influenced if I had chosen to take part in the mostly democratic process (like many American citizens in our most recent presidential election).

We can debate and argue about each player that was chosen as a starter and whether he truly deserves it, but I am going to focus on one player – the most obvious snub – Russell Westbrook. The fact that Westbrook wasn’t chosen as an NBA All-Star starter is a national travesty. I know I join sports columnists across the nation in grumbling about the results, but I feel genuinely passionately about this, so yet another Westbrook think piece seems justifiable.

For those who need a quick rundown of the All-Star voting process, fan votes account for half of the overall vote, while a panel of basketball media figures and NBA players each account for 25 percent. Granted, this format is an improvement from previous years, when fans held all of the power to vote for starters. I think it’s great that the fans get to feel like a part of the process, but the public doesn’t always get it right.

Fan voting is the reason players like Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving made the starting lineup ahead of lesser-known, yet possibly more deserving names like Boston’s Isaiah Thomas and Charlotte’s Kemba Walker. Zaza Pachulia of the Golden State Warriors was nearly selected as a starter thanks to fan voting, which is absolutely absurd seeing as he barely averages five points per game. Luckily for my sanity, the All-Star reserves are chosen by NBA coaches, guaranteeing that Westbrook will at least make an appearance in the game.

In the Western Conference, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was the guard with the most votes among fans, while Westbrook landed third among guards voted by the public. The players and the media both ranked Westbrook, Houston Rockets’ James Harden and Curry in their top three, in that order. Not to take anything away from Curry, an NBA champion and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, but I think we can all agree that NBA players and sports journalists know more about basketball than the average fans, who vote based on popularity. (However, don’t get me started on the six NBA players that voted Matthew Dellavedova as an All-Star starter…)

Between my lack of voting and other fans’ foolish voting choices, the public has officially lost its right to vote in the All-Star game. Future decisions should remain in the hands of the players, coaches and media.

All-Star candidates should be judged based on the performances they are putting up this season, and the performance that Westbrook is displaying right now is unbelievable. Midway through the season, Westbrook is still averaging a triple-double (30.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game). If Harden wasn’t having the outstanding year he’s having, Westbrook would undoubtedly be a lock for the 2017 MVP award. How is a top-two MVP candidate an All-Star game benchwarmer?

Westbrook has singlehandedly lugged his otherwise-mediocre team to a respectable sixth-place standing in the Western Conference in his first season as the Thunder’s alpha dog after fellow star Kevin Durant jumped ship to join the Golden State Warriors. His two-way, tenacious play is more than deserving of a starting role. He has claimed indifference when asked about the snub, but I’m not sure I buy it. Of course, the All-Star game is essentially meaningless and has no significance in the grand scheme of the season, but it’s always good to see guys get the credit they deserve.
If you’ve watched an Oklahoma City Thunder game, you’ve witnessed Westbrook’s blistering death glare (reminiscent of Kobe Bryant’s trademark scowl). And I am positive that, if it was possible, Westbrook would stare down each and every one of the people who didn’t vote for him, inducing the feelings of shame and remorse that we all deserve.

Photo by Lauren Scornavacca