Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid's first All-Star game was a success

Joel Embiid went to work in his All-Star debut, putting on a show for the Philadelphia 76ers faithful.

Philadelphia 76ers fans got a good show Sunday night, with Joel Embiid putting together an impressive all-around performance in his All-Star debut. Stephen Curry‘s group lost by a score of 148-145, but Embiid played a surprisingly big role down the stretch of a tight contest.

First and foremost, this year’s All-Star game was fun. Defense was played and the game came down to the wire, with controversial calls and star-powered matchups factoring into the end result. It had a real-game feel, which couldn’t be said last season.

Embiid got in a solid run, putting together 19 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in just 20 minutes. He also hit a couple of threes, with one of them coming from well beyond the arc in the first half. That rainbow shot was followed immediately by a block on Russell Westbrook.

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The final five minutes or so was when things really picked up. LeBron James‘ team went small down the stretch, pairing James with Kevin Durant in the frontcourt. Team Curry countered with JoJo, using his size to force the ball inside and get looks around the rim.

Embiid and LeBron traded a few shots, while Westbrook eventually got his revenge in the form of an and-one finish through Embiid late in the final frame. Embiid, while inevitably in vain, also notched a critical stop in crunch time, sticking with Paul George off the dribble before blocking his shot at the rim.

All-Star games normally don’t mean much, but this one was different from an environmental standpoint alone. There was charity money involved and the players were motivated to up the level of competition, which allowed Embiid’s competitive fire to shine.

You can also tell how the rest of the league views Embiid — at least among other stars. They love the dude, but his antics are always going to make him a target. If there’s any chance of exposing JoJo, opposing players are going to take advantage.

That’s part of what made the final few minutes so entertaining.

If anything, this game was a good reminder of why Al Horford wasn’t the starting center. If you replace Embiid with Horford late in the game, the entertainment factor drops significantly. Embiid is also a much better player, which is kind of important too.

This, barring any significant setbacks moving forward, should be the first of several All-Star appearances for the Sixers’ big man.

He’s already a perinnial Defensive Player of the Year candidate and somebody who’s capable of developing into the best offensive center in the league over the next couple of seasons. At his current rate, Embiid should firmly establish himself as a top 10 player soon, if he hasn’t already.

Next: Ben Simmons, the somehow disputed Rookie of the Year

Hopefully he’s joined by Ben Simmons next year. Goran Dragic didn’t exactly put on a show.

Joel Embiid’s first All-Star game was a success

By Christopher Kline | Feb 19, 2018

Joel Embiid went to work in his All-Star debut, putting on a show for the Philadelphia 76ers faithful.