Will Tyrese Maxey be an All-Star reserve? A breakdown of the other East contenders

It was no surprise that Joel Embiid was named an Eastern Conference All-Star starter Thursday night.

Tyrese Maxey, meanwhile, must wait at least another week to learn if he will earn an All-Star spot for the first time in his career.

The Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard on Thursday were revealed as the East’s starting guards, as chosen by a combined vote between fans, players, and media.

The team’s reserves will be chosen in a vote by the league’s coaches and announced Thursday. Their ballots will include two guards and two “wild card” selections for any position, meaning Maxey can fill any of four possible openings. If the 76ers’ standout is not part of that initial reserve group, becoming an injury replacement is also possible.

» READ MORE: Sixers center Joel Embiid earns his seventh NBA All-Star Game selection

Maxey’s statistics — career highs in points (25.7), assists (6.6), and rebounds (3.6) per game — and impact on the Sixers’ 29-14 record — certainly make him deserving. He has helped the Sixers swiftly move on from the James Harden saga, and has become a lethal two-man partner with Embiid.

Here are the other players challenging for those final East All-Star spots:

2023-24 stats: 27.6 points, 6.2 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 steals per game; 46% from the floor, 34.2% from three-point range

Mitchell is now an All-Star staple, earning that honor in each of the past four seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz. His raw numbers, including a career-high assist average, are excellent.

Yet those do not fully illustrate his impact. Mitchell has spearheaded the Cavaliers’ turnaround since standout guard Darius Garland and starting big man Evan Mobley went out with injuries in mid-December. Cleveland has won eight of its past 10 games to rise to fifth in the Eastern Conference.

In the process, Mitchell has gone from the subject of trade speculation to putting his team in position to potentially again have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

2023-24 stats: 26.5 points, 6.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds; 47.8% from the floor, 42.4% from three

The late-December trade for OG Anunoby has been a massive success for the New York Knicks, who have won eight of their past 10 games to ascend to fourth place in the East.

» READ MORE: Former Villanova star Jalen Brunson proves doubters wrong with Christmas Day performance

But Brunson has been the engine, notching career numbers in scoring and assists. He is incredibly dangerous with the ball in his hands. And his three-point percentage is a career-best on a career-high in 6.6 attempts per game.

The Villanova product is more than worthy of becoming a first-time All-Star.

2023-24 stats: 26.9 points, 10.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds; 42.2% from the floor, 36.4% from three

Young remains wildly popular because of his unconscious shooting range and slick passing, as evidenced by the fan voting that made him a contender to start for the East.

It can be difficult to stomach that Young’s Atlanta Hawks were 18-26 entering Friday’s game, that the pairing with Dejounte Murray is not working, and that Young is a poor defender. Yet he remains a feared scorer, and his assist numbers — along with the degree of difficulty and entertainment value of those dishes — are fabulous.

2023-24 stats: 15.9 points, 4.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals per game; 46.5% shooting, 40.1% from three

White’s pure numbers make him a long shot to be an All-Star. But if any team is going to get three representatives (joining Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown), it will be the title-favorite Celtics.

White arguably is the NBA’s best defensive guard on a squad that ranks second in the league in efficiency. He also is putting up career numbers in scoring, rebounding, and three-point percentage in a do-everything role.

» READ MORE: Eastern Conference reset: Sixers keep rolling along as player, coach movement swirls at midseason

Julius Randle, Knicks: After a cold start to the season, Randle is averaging 24.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists by forcefully and efficiently attacking the rim.

Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat: His impact on the Heat will forever pass the eye test. But his numbers are down from last season, and he has only played in 30 games.

Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic: He has followed up his Rookie of the Year season with even stronger numbers across the board, but the Magic have fallen off following a surprisingly hot start.

Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers: The raw numbers don’t stack up to the other frontcourt contenders, but he is a double-double machine who also deserves recognition for his impact on both ends.

Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors: The Raptors are in full rebuild mode, partially because they have their hub on both ends. His scoring has taken a massive leap this season, but he also is an impressive playmaker and versatile defender.

Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics: He has been a terrific addition to a team with championship aspirations and is hitting a career-best 52.9% of his shots in a more complementary role. But he also probably has not played in enough games (33) to warrant serious consideration.

» READ MORE: Tyrese Maxey’s Team USA snub will serve as fuel: ‘You can use everything as motivation’