The field of participants is large, but Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has entered the discussion for All-Star selection, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

Cunningham started Monday against Miami averaging 23.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. Langlois notes that he has admirers across the league, not just because of his stats, but because he is establishing himself as a leader and performer.

However, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell And Trae Young should be popular in fan voting for Eastern Conference guards LaMelo Ball, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro, Tyrese Haliburton, Darius Garland, Zach LaVine and the Boston duo of Derrick White And Jrue holiday The fans and the coaches who select the replacements should also think about this.

We have more news about the Central Division:

• With the dollar Lillard was preparing for the NBA Cup Finals against Oklahoma City on Tuesday and had to miss practice due to a calf injury. However, according to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, it was a precautionary measure and Lillard says he will dress for the game. According to the team’s public relations department, the Bucks point guard has a bruised right calf (Twitter links here).
• dollar forward Chris Middleton has played four games off the bench since returning from offseason surgeries on both ankles. Middleton was irritated by the idea that he had taken time off to get back into action, he told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “People say I was mentally scared to play or whatever the case may be. I just wasn’t physically and mentally ready to play.” he said. “If you suffer injuries when you have surgery, you have to make sure that you are physically well and that you are mentally fit. You definitely have to be ready to play.” Middleton’s status for the cup final is uncertain; He missed Monday’s practice because of an illness, according to an Associated Press report. It is classified as probable, tweets Nehm.
• Bulls forward Julian Phillips has seen his role diminish since he made a few starts earlier this month. Phillips, a 2023 second-round pick, needs to expand his game and create offense for his teammates to get more playing time. “Julian did a really good job of spacing out the space and shooting his threes, but I think he can do a little bit more off the dribble.” trainer Billy Donovan said Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “I don’t know if we can do it this year.”