The NBA's new All-Star voting system worked — unless you're Russell Westbrook

Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook fought for one starting spot in the Western Conference. (AP)

The NBA changed its All-Star voting rules earlier this season in the hopes of averting an electoral embarrassment. Based on the 10 starters announced Thursday night on TNT, the system worked.

With LeBron James and James Harden leading the way, the league has its most deserving collection of All-Star starters in years. The Western Conference will be represented by Harden, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, and New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis.

The Eastern Conference will be represented by James, his Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving, Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, Milwaukee Bucks sensation Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Chicago Bulls wing Jimmy Butler. Antetokounmpo and Butler are the game’s only first-time starters.

The league’s new rules stipulate that fan voting constitutes just half of the All-Star results instead of the full tally. Each NBA player was allowed one vote this year to make up 25 percent of the results, and a panel of media members decided on the other 25 percent.

Under the old rules, Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid would have replaced DeRozan and Butler in the East. (Kevin Love finished ahead of Butler in the East frontcourt, as well.) In the West, only Davis would not have made the starting squad.

Starters were decided upon via a weighted average of each players’ finish under each voting faction, with the fan vote breaking any ties. That rule had to be used in two cases — DeRozan made it in ahead of Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas, and Curry beat out Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook.

These results are certainly not perfect, although it’s not entirely fair to blame the changes in voting. Leading MVP candidate Westbrook stands out as a particularly egregious snub, but he finished third in fan voting and would not have made it under the old voting system, either. Nevertheless, Westbrook’s incredible stats have him in line to become the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double over a full season.

The good news is that Westbrook, a two-time All-Star Game MVP, is a lock to make the team as a reserve, which will still give him plenty of opportunities to glare at his ex-teammate Durant.

One of Durant’s Warriors teammates stands out as a notable absence, too, although not because he deserved a spot on the West squad. Center Zaza Pachulia became the biggest story of the fan voting period by easily finding his way into a top-three spot in the Western Conference frontcourt, a placement that would have given him a starting nod under the old rules. Pachulia finished second in fan voting (nearly a half-million votes ahead votes ahead of the third-place Leonard), but the media and player portions of the vote ensured he would spend the All-Star break on vacation. At least Zaza will always be able to call himself a fan favorite.

The All-Star Game will take place on February 19 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The game was originally scheduled to take place in Charlotte, but the controversy over North Carolina’s HB 2 “bathroom law” forced the NBA to change locations.