For each year with the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony represented them in the NBA All-Star game. With his 2017 departure, that left the 2018 game open, and while Kristaps Porzingis was selected, he did not play due to injury.
With Porzingis still out, that created an uphill battle for the Knicks to send someone to Charlotte in February 2019. Voting opened on Christmas Day.
Tim Hardaway Jr. and Enes Kanter were always the players with the greatest chance at making the game, pending they could deliver superior numbers and take advantage of the scoring opportunities the Latvian star left behind.