It is All-Star voting season in the NBA as fans, media, and everybody in between begin to pick who they believe has earned the right to be called an All-Star. There are even reports of an actual game happening on March 7 in Atlanta so there is a little excitement around the event.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a case to send multiple players to Atlanta as they sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. Joel Embiid will be a shoo-in whether he’s voted in as a starter from the fans or from the coaches, he will be in the All-Star game.
The Sixers also have two other players worthy of an All-Star nod in Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris. Simmons has been an All-Star in each of the previous two seasons, but his offensive numbers have been down to begin the 2020-21 season and that turns off some fans who want to see guys light it up.
Embiid took to Twitter to give Simmons a vote and a hating troll tried to discredit what Simmons brings to the team. Embiid quickly clapped back at him.
Well I guess you didn’t watch the game yesterday. His value goes beyond the stats. And Tobias has been dominating and consistent all season and the team is the #1 seed in the east
— Joel “Troel” Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) February 5, 2021
“Ben’s ability defensively, not only on the ball, but off the ball is just, and again there’s no numbers for it,” said coach Doc Rivers. “Unless you watch it and see it, you just don’t notice.”
The Sixers missed Simmons in the worst way on Thursday in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers as they missed his defensive presence as well as his ability to set other players up to succeed in the flow of the offense. His stat line may not read “max player” or “star player”, but he brings a lot of value to the floor and he is the cornerstone of this Sixers franchise.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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