How many times will Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid get snubbed for awards? First, Embiid has been a perennial MVP candidate the last two seasons, but didn't win. Now, he finds himself on the outside looking in for starters at the NBA All-Star Game.
Judging off of the eye test, it's hard to understand why Joel Embiid wasn’t voted to be an All-Star starter. He's second in the league in scoring with 33.4 points per game, and he's also averaging 9.8 rebounds per contest. On top of the individual stats that can compete with any other player, there's the fact his team is doing well in the standings. Heading into Thursday night's action, the 76ers are second in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Boston Celtics by three games.
With that said, let's dive into the reasons why Embiid was not selected to be a starter for the game. Before we do, let's understand the big man will probably end up being an All-Star soon, just as a reserve chosen by the coaches.
3. It's a glorified popularity contest
We have to remember this is the NBA All-Star Game we're talking about, and if the fans are the ones voting for the starters, that can go all kinds of ways. Look at the players who are the traditional leading vote-getters. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo are normally at the top of the list. Why? Because they are the players who are best known to the general public, and because the postgame shows are quick to play their flashy highlights, that's what will stick out most to the casual watchers of the game when it comes to these votes. While Embiid has a number of highlight-worthy plays, they don't occur as frequently. Bottom line, the fans will vote for who they want to see, and stats might not be at the top of reasons why.
2. It's not a big man sport anymore
When I say big man, I mean what the older crowd is used to. Big men in today's NBA have to be able to shoot from outside and guard all five positions in the event teams switch matchups on defense. Embiid has a complete offensive game, including a capability to knock down a three-pointer, but he does the majority of his work in the post. On defense, he's not trying to come out to the perimeter too much. He would rather stay inside and protect the rim. In other words, while his game is effective, it's not the style people like to see each evening. They want up-and-down, back-and-forth action, and just because of his size, Embiid isn't one to sustain that pace for long periods of time.
1. Not enough spots
With the format for voting being allocated to three frontcourt and two backcourt players on each team, there was a chance Embiid was going to be snubbed. The guys on the frontcourt on the Eastern Conference squad (Durant, Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum) have all had great seasons for their respective teams. So if anyone wants Embiid to be a starter, the question is who gets taken off. Inevitably, somebody is going to be snubbed when it comes to these votes. It happens every year, and there's simply not enough spots to get everyone in. This year, it's Embiid's turn to get the treatment. Next year, it'll be someone else. The important thing is we have never seen any championships won in the NBA during the month of February.
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