Ben Simmons named to NBA East All-Star team, but Tobias Harris is snubbed
Ben Simmons #BenSimmons
Ben Simmons keeps his NBA All-Star status.
Despite declining offensive stats, the 76ers point guard was named an NBA Eastern Conference All-Star reserve for the third consecutive season.
The season’s reserves, selected by the league’s coaches, were announced on TNT Tuesday before the 7:35 p.m. tip-off of the Sixers’ game against the Toronto Raptors at the Amalie Arena. The 70th All-Star game will be on March 7 in Atlanta.
“I mean listen, I really like Ben Simmons’s toughness,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said of the 6-foot-10, 240-pounder. “I’m not giving you headline there. The guy’s big and strong, and he’s physical, and he is tough, man.
“He takes it off people, and he bangs them off their feet. He’s one of those running backs that gets in the open field and likes sees a guys and goes right at them and make him pay for not getting out of the way sometimes.”
Simmons will join teammate Joel Embiid, who was named an All-Star starter for the fourth consecutive season on Thursday. This marks the third consecutive season that both players were named All-Stars.
In Joel Embiid, the Sixers have the NBA’s MVP. A loss to the Raptors shows they still need more around him. 5/8 David MurphyThe team, however, had hoped to have three All-Stars. Tobias Harris received an All-Star snub despite having the best season of his 10-year career. He was also snubbed in 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers and a couple of seasons before that with the Detroit Pistons.
“An NBA All-Star is for players who are consistent and play each game at high level, with no taking off games,” said Torrel Harris, who is Tobias’ agent. “It’s very disappointing that Tobias Harris was not selected on his team that’s in first place in the Eastern Conference.”
Tobias Harris, a 10-year veteran, is in the midst of his best season, averaging a career-best 20.6 points, 3.4 assists and 0.8 blocks per game heading into Tuesday’s game. He also averages 7.8 rebounds and is shooting 40.3% on three-pointers.
Doc Rivers was asked before the game the announcement about having a conversation with a snubbed player so they don’t get deterred.
“They get disappointed for one night and they prove the rest of the year that they should have made the All-Star team,” Rivers said. “We are playing for something bigger honestly, and I also think it’s phenomenal.”
However, the coach though the Sixers should have had three All-Stars.
Sacrificing his game, Simmons is averaging a career-low 15.7 points to go with 8.3 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.7 steals. He’s been a multi-faceted player for the Sixers, lining up at point guard, forward and center.
Sixers, Flyers and Wells Fargo Center pitch Philadelphia officials on having up to 5,000 fans at gamesLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (West) and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (East) led the 10 starters chosen in voting by fans, players, and a panel of reporters on Thursday. The fans accounted for 50% of the vote totals, with media members and players accounting for 25% each.
James and Durant will serve as team captains after finishing as the top vote-getters in their respective conferences. The captains will select their rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves on March 4. Rivers and his Sixers staff will coach Team Durant in the All-Star game.
Starters from the Eastern Conference are Durant, Embiid, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal, and Nets point guard Kyrie Irving.
For the Western Conference, the starters are James, Los Angeles Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry, and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić.
The format of the All-Star Game will be the same as last season. Teams will compete to win the first, second and third quarters before reaching a final target score during an untimed fourth quarter.
The All-Star Game was originally scheduled for Feb. 14 in Indianapolis, but canceled due to COVID-19. The Pacers instead are expected to host NBA All-Star weekend Feb. 16-18, 2024.
The NBA’s first half of the season is scheduled to end on March 4. The second half of the NBA season is scheduled to run from March 11 to May 16.
“There’s All-Stars left off of every All-Star team,” Doc Rivers said. “There’s more than 12 All-Stars. There just is. Unfortunately that our number.”
window.DML = 1/2
dataLayer: ‘PMNdataLayer’
3/4