Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh have put up all-star numbers this season for the Toronto Raptors. (Ron Turenne/Getty Images) Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh and centre Andrea Bargnani are both ranked third in their respective positions following the second returns in the 2010 NBA all-star balloting.
Bosh is third among Eastern Conference forwards with 553,230 votes, while Bargnani ranks third among centres with 121,253 votes. Guard Jose Calderon ranks ninth among guards in the East and forward Hedo Turkoglu ranks ninth among forwards.
Bosh is seeking his fifth consecutive all-star appearance. The native of Dallas — near the site of next year's all-star game — was selected as a reserve last season for the Eastern Conference squad.
Bosh did not take part in the 2009 game at Phoenix due to a sprained knee, but did participate in all-star weekend festivities.
Bosh is currently tied for the NBA lead with 21 double-doubles and ranks fifth in rebounds (11.1) and eighth in scoring (23.4).
Bargnani, the first overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft, is seeking his first all-star appearance. He ranks second in team scoring, averaging a career-high 16.3 points and 6.1 rebounds.
In the latest voting, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets top the Western Conference, while LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat lead the Eastern Conference in total votes.
Bryant, a three-time all-star MVP, is the overall leader with 1,380,383 votes, while James, a two-time all-star MVP, is second overall with 1,351,292.
The 2010 NBA all-star game will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 — the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game — on Sunday, Feb. 14.
