76ers' Joel Embiid Won't Start at 2023 NBA All-Star Game
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is on pace to make the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. However, he won't be a starter this season.
On Thursday night, the NBA revealed the starters from each conference. From the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokoumpo will be a captain, while Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, and Donovan Mitchell will also get the starting nod.
It seems Embiid’s status as an NBA All-Star is inevitable. When the first round of votes was released a few weeks back, the big man was third in the Eastern Conference frontcourt ratings. With over 2.2 million votes, Embiid trailed only two players in Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant.
When the second wave of results was released the following week, Embiid dropped to fourth in the frontcourt rankings. While he still trailed Antetokounmpo and Durant, Embiid was eventually surpassed by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
Then on the third round of fan votes, Embiid remained in the fourth spot, which certainly affected his chances of becoming a starter once again.
Starter or not, Embiid remains one of the NBA’s most dominant players. After establishing himself as a league MVP runner-up over the last two years, trailing only Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Embiid is once again making a case for the award, despite beginning the year on a slower note.
Through his first six games of the season, Embiid averaged 27 points, ten rebounds, and three assists while draining 53 percent of his shots from the field. After dealing with multiple stretches of missing time due to numerous reasons, Embiid flipped a switch in December as he managed to stay healthy for the entire month.
In 13 games, Embiid averaged 35 points, ten rebounds, and four assists while knocking down 55 percent of field goals and 42 percent of his threes. His performance for December earned him the right to be called the Eastern Conference Player of the Month.
Although Embiid missed four more games since his standout month, he maintains a high level of play as the season progresses.
Overall, the big man is averaging 33 points, ten rebounds, and four assists while hitting on a career-high of 53 percent from the field in 35 games this season.
Embiid will likely grab his sixth All-Star nod this year, but he won't do it as a starter.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
