Philadelphia 76ers Won’t Have a Starter in 2025 NBA All-Star Game

On Thursday, the NBA announced the All-Star starters for each conference.

In a not-so-shocking development, the Philadelphia 76ers won’t have a player voted in as a starter.

According to the NBA’s reveal, the Eastern Conference’s backcourt starters are Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell and New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson.

For the front court, the East starters will include New York’s star acquisition Karl Anthony-Towns, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Eastern Conference starter pool for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game:

▪️ Giannis Antetokounmpo
▪️ Jalen Brunson
▪️ Donovan Mitchell
▪️ Jayson Tatum
▪️ Karl-Anthony Towns pic.twitter.com/ENbe3684P4
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 24, 2025

Typically, the Sixers find their star big man Joel Embiid as an automatic starter, but his 2024-2025 campaign hasn’t gone too well due to bad health.

Entering the season, Embiid made it known that winning a championship was his priority. As an attempt to be as healthy as possible for a potential playoff run, Embiid planned to have an injury management plan in place.

The plan, plus a suspension, kept Embiid off the court for the first nine games of the season. When he returned, he appeared in four of the next five games.

After appearing in three games in a row, Embiid missed seven games in a row. At that point, he was dealing with swelling and soreness in the knee he received surgery on last year.

Although he returned for two games in early December, Embiid suffered a sinus fracture, which took him off the court for another game.

When the Sixers played the Boston Celtics on Christmas, Embiid dealt with another setback, suffering a sprained foot. Although he played in four of the next five games after Christmas, the foot injury took him off the court for six games in a row.

Late last week, Embiid hoped to return to action during the Sixers’ three-game road trip. Unfortunately, he started experiencing knee swelling again. Embiid missed three more games and will make it 10 in a row on Friday when the Sixers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

With just 13 games to show for, Embiid was not expected to make the All-Star game this year. For what it’s worth, Embiid still received the ninth-most fan votes for the Eastern Conference frontcourt.

Joel Embiid Tyrese Maxe — Apr 12, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and guard Tyrese Maxey (0) stand together during a break in action in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

As for the Sixers’ other two potential candidates, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, their inability to help the Sixers find success this year likely played a big part in their absence from the starting five and potentially the event altogether.

Maxey’s personal numbers are still strong, as he averages 26 points, six assists, and four rebounds per game, but his efficiency took a noticeable dip. From the field, Maxey is averaging 43 percent, which marks a career-low. From three, he’s shooting below 37 percent for the first time since his rookie season.

When it comes to Paul George, his first season with the Sixers has not reached expectations. Not only did injuries affect him at times, but he’s averaging just 17 points on 36 percent shooting from deep in 28 outings. This is the first time George is averaging fewer than 20 points since his days in Indiana.

The NBA will reveal the reserves on January 30. With the Sixers sitting in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with a 15-27 record, they could be without a player in the All-Star game this year.

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