Joel Embiid named NBA All-Star reserve as expected, while Sixers teammate James Harden is snubbed
While both hoped to be selected, they made it clear that the Sixers’ title pursuit is more important.
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Joel Embiid had jokes. But in the end, the joke was on 76ers teammate James Harden.
Embiid was asked what significance would come from receiving another NBA All-Star selection Thursday night. The expected announcement came after Embiid was snubbed as an Eastern Conference All-Star Game starter for the first time in six seasons.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be an All-Star,” Embiid said amusingly following Wednesday’s 105-94 victory over the Orlando Magic at the Wells Fargo Center.
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Embiid had nothing to worry about as his name was the first called when All-Star reserves, selected by the league’s coaches, were announced. However, Harden was an All-Star snub, ending a string of 10 consecutive selections. He will not be present when the 72nd All-Star Game tips off on Feb. 19 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
Harden reacted by posting the words ‘The disrespect.’ on in Instagram story.
Embiid was joined by Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan, Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, and New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle as East All-Star reserves.
The West All-Star reserves are Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, Grizzlies power forward Jaren Jackson Jr., Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, Utah Jazz power forward Lauri Markkanen, and Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George.
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For Embiid, this marks his sixth consecutive All-Star selection.
Embiid leads the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game. He also averages 10.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, a league sixth-best 1.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals. Embiid has 24 double-doubles and one triple-double in 38 games this season.
“Obviously, I’m competitive,” Embiid said Wednesday. “So you want to be the best. I felt like I put myself in the position to be up there and the best. It’s disappointing [to not be an All-Star starter], but that’s not what matters.
“Like I keep saying … I feel like we have an opportunity to accomplish something big. So that’s where the emphasis is.”
Harden’s play is a big reason the Sixers (33-17) are in third place in the East standings and expected to contend for an NBA title.
The point guard came one rebound shy of posting his fifth triple-double of the season Wednesday against the Magic (20-32), finishing with 26 points, 10 assists, and nine boards.
Harden, in his 14th season, is averaging 21.4 points, 11.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.
Harden is the unofficial assists leader. However, he’s not listed among the leaders because he has only played in 68.0% of the Sixers’ games. A player has to compete in at least 70% of his team’s games to be officially eligible for an individual statistical title.
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Harden missed 14 games earlier this season with a strained tendon in his right foot. Then he missed road games on Dec. 31 against Oklahoma City and Jan. 21 against Sacramento with right foot injury management.
He will play in 70.7% of the Sixers’ 82-game slate if he doesn’t miss more than eight of the remaining 32 contests.
At least for the time being, Haliburton is the official assists leader at 10.2 per game.
The only thing that possibly stood in the way of Harden being voted an All-Star reserve was games played. The future Hall of Famer has compiled a ton of accolades over his career, but being named an All-Star still has significance to him.
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“That means you’re one of the best players in the league,” he said Wednesday. “I’m not going to sit up here and say I should be an All-Star and make a case. Numbers show it. Our seed shows it. So it will be my 11th in a row. So obviously, it’s always an honor. You never want to take that for granted.
“It means you are doing something right, and you are making an impact on your team and the game.”
Like Embiid, Harden said it would be great for his name to be called. If not, he noted he has bigger and better goals this season.