All-Star voting is open. Can one of the Kings’ young stars crack the showcase event?

The Kings have been among the NBA’s surprise teams this season. If fans help, some players might garner even more attention.

Voting for the NBA All-Star Game opened Tuesday morning, and the Kings’ starting backcourt of De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield could receive serious consideration.

Hield is emerging as one of the league’s better scorers. The third-year guard – acquired as part of a trade that sent the Kings’ last All-Star, DeMarcus Cousins, to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2017 – is averaging a team-leading 20.4 points per game, which ranks 10th among Western Conference guards. His 3.2 3-pointers per game is third among that group. He also averages 5.2 rebounds.

Fox is second on the Kings at 18.1 points, and his 7.5 assists average is sixth among West guards.

The duo has helped guide a Sacramento team that will enter January with at least a .500 record for the first time since 2004-05 while leading the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring at 29.4 points, six-tenths of a point better than the Washington Wizards.

It won’t be easy for Fox and Hield to make the team, as the Western Conference boasts several high-profile guards. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors has been a starter the past five seasons, while teammate Klay Thompson was a reserve the last four years. Houston’s James Harden has started the last two games and been named five times in a row. Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook has been an all-star seven of the last eight seasons and was a starter in 2015-16.

Other current West guards making appearances over the last five seasons are Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers and the Rockets’ Chris Paul. Each has three nods in that span.

Should Fox, Hield or any other Kings player make this season’s team, they would join six who have been awarded spots during the Sacramento era. Mitch Richmond leads the way with six, followed by Chris Webber (four), Cousins (three), Peja Stojakovic (three) and one each by Brad Miller and Vlade Divac, who is now the team’s general manager.

The Kings have an All-Star on the current roster. Forward Zach Randolph made two appearances with the Memphis Grizzlies, but the 37-year-old has not played this season as the team focuses on younger players.

You can vote at NBA.com, through the NBA mobile app, or through Google and Google Assistant. Full instructions can be found here.

“NBA on TNT” will announce starters and captains Jan. 24, with reserves being named a week later.

The 68th NBA All-Star Game will be played at Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets, on Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. on TNT.

This story was originally published December 25, 2018 at 2:25 PM.