The Sixer Sense
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2018-19 All-Star picks: Do the Philadelphia 76ers deserve 3 players?

By Christopher Kline

Joel Embiid & Jimmy Butler | Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Joel Embiid & Jimmy Butler | Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

The Philadelphia 76ers have three All-Star candidates, but do they all deserve a spot?

Fan voting for the 2018-19 All-Star Game has officially closed, shifting the burden to the media and players. The Philadelphia 76ers will presumably have three candidates in the mix, with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler all garnering consideration.

While Embiid and Simmons are (or at least should be) surefire inclusions, Butler also has a strong case. His early-season stint in Minnesota aside, the 29-year-old has played an important role in carrying the Sixers’ not-so-deep roster to fourth in the top-heavy Eastern Conference.

Even with minor fit issues and some off-court drama, Butler is beginning to find his comfort zone in Brett Brown’s system. He’s one of the 15 best players in the world at his peak, so the talent isn’t lacking. It comes down to impact, health and several other factors.

With the Feb. 7 draft on the horizon, here are my picks for the starters and reserves in each conference. Per the actual ballots, each conference will get two backcourt starters and three frontcourt starters. The reserves aren’t listed in any particular order.