Utah Jazz: Okur is 3rd in All-Star balloting for Western Conference centers

The Jazz's Mehmet Okur ranks third among Western Conference centers in the first release of early balloting results for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game, but neither currently injured two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer nor Jazz point Deron Williams ranked among the top-10 Western forwards or guards, respectively.

The Jazz's Andrei Kirilenko, an All-Star in 2004, also failed to crack the top among Western forwards, meaning he, Boozer and Williams all have received fewer than 78,500 votes

Okur, an All-Star injury replacement selection for Boozer in 2007, has received 162,139 votes.

But he doesn't stand a chance to be voted into the game by fans, as the big Turk is well behind both Houston's Yao Ming (529,290) and Phoenix's Shaquille O'Neal (227,273).

Orlando center Dwight Howard leads all vote-getters 775,933, and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers leads all Western Conference contenders with 719,252 votes.

New Orleans point Paul, incidentally, ranks second among Western guards with 406,220.

Other position leaders: Cleveland's LeBron James (East forwards), Miami's Dwyane Wade (East guards) and San Antonio's Tim Duncan (West forwards).

The 58th All-Star Game will be played Feb. 15 in Phoenix.