LeBron, Kyrie lead 1st round of All-Star voting results

Cleveland Cavaliers cogs LeBron James and Kyrie Irving lead the NBA's first returns of All-Star voting results in numbers released Thursday. Golden State Warriors teammates Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are third and fourth, respectively, and lead Western Conference balloting.

In a throwback to last season, one of the top vote-getters is again Zaza Pachulia - now plying his trade for the Warriors. In 2015-16, Pachulia, then with the Dallas Mavericks, came up just short of starting in the West's frontcourt.

James' and Irving's Cavs teammate, Kevin Love, is also in position to start after the initial returns.

Related: 10 players who should have your All-Star vote

The numbers - as usual - will incite debate in many circles. Russell Westbrook, with 16 triple-doubles this season, is third in Western Conference backcourt voting behind Curry and James Harden. Dwyane Wade is second among East guards despite the second-lowest scoring average of his career.

Fans can vote until Jan. 16. Player and media voting will begin next week, with each participant completing one full ballot. The All-Star Game goes Feb. 19 in New Orleans.