
<p>After the <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/three-nba-teams-with-the-most-potential-for-february-sales-20230121-SPD-3338.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBA’s 2023 All-Star</a></strong> starters were named on Thursday, a few reserves with justifiable complaints were expected. The starting have been announced, with the fan vote accounting for 50%, the media vote for 25%, and the player vote for the remaining 5%. It was revealed that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been named an NBA All-Star for the 19th time, matching Abdul-Jabbar for the most All-Star appearances in NBA history. </p>



<p>James, who received the most votes in the league as a whole, will lead one team in the next All-Star Game on February 19 in Salt Lake City. The other team’s captain will be Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, who received the most votes in the Eastern Conference. The NBA has employed a captain system for the All-Star Game for the last six years, and James has participated in every one of them. </p>



<p>In addition to 2019 and 2020, Antetokounmpo now has the honor of serving as captain for a third time. Unlike previous years, when captains choose a week or two in advance of All-Star weekend, this year’s game will include an unannounced twist: the two players will choose their teams in the days leading up to the game. These are the three biggest 2023 NBA All-Star starter snubs, as per&nbsp;<em>CBS Sports.</em></p>



<h2>3. Domantas Sabonis</h2>



<p>Sabonis’s performance with the Kings has been outstanding. His absence results in a ten-point drop in scoring for every hundred possessions for the second-ranked Kings offense, according to CTG.</p>



<p>To add insult to injury, Sabonis has played 45 games to Zion’s 33 and Williamson is expected to miss at least two more weeks. When comparing their loss totals, the Kings are now three games ahead of the Pels.</p>



<h2>2. Anthony Davis</h2>



<p><strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/top-3-worst-performing-nba-teams-in-2022-23-20230122-SPD-3342.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Davis</a></strong> has a true shooting percentage of 65.9 and is averaging 27.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. The first three statistics are much superior than Zion Williamson’s bests, especially in terms of rebounds and blocks. In terms of TS, the numbers are quite similar.</p>



<p>Even without any other excellent defenders, the Lakers’ defensive rating would be the best in the NBA if Davis were playing. He is the Lakers’ defense, while Zion has improved defensively, but he is more of a byproduct of a successful New Orleans defense than a star in his own right. Davis was, for a while this season, the league’s top performer.</p>



<h2>1. Joel Embiid</h2>



<p>In this situation, Embiid was more deserving of a starting spot than Anteokounmpo was, therefore his exclusion was unjust. Embiid was voted third among frontcourt players by the media and players, behind Tatum and Durant, but he came in at a fourth place in the fan poll, which was won by Giannis. The key distinction lay there.</p>



<p>The notion that the fans are the game’s lifeblood and should have a say in the All-Star Game selection process has some merit, but in this case, the league made a mistake. Embiid outscores Antetokounmpo despite shooting at a far lower percentage from the field.</p>


Joel Embiid and two other biggest 2023 NBA All-Star starter snubs - thesportsdrops NEWS

Joel Embiid and two other biggest 2023 NBA All-Star starter snubs

destacadas


<p id="block-ea9a0d63-14b7-4edd-9928-0500a0b405bf">With the advent of the <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/top-3-point-guards-for-2022-23-nba-season-20221120-SPD-3175.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBA</a></strong> in the late 1940s, it became clear that each team required a towering center to have any chance of winning the title. There have been many great centers to play professional basketball in a league that is still expanding after more than 70 years.</p>



<p id="block-b49d11c0-50ee-425a-b398-1634988a7374">The NBA center position has a rich history of prominence. Many teams rely heavily on this position, and it has been filled by some of the game’s all-time greats. Defenders at the center position must focus on protecting the basket and securing offensive boards.</p>



<p id="block-7169e422-77ab-458e-9730-3d49a5190545">This particular position has enjoyed a revival in recent years, and in the previous two seasons, a player of this position was awarded the league’s most valuable player trophy, marking the position’s pinnacle. Thus, big, skilled players are returning to the position in droves. These are the three best centers in the NBA right now, who are still yet to reach those highs, as per&nbsp;<em>NBA.com</em>.</p>



<h2 id="block-368b32b5-0f4e-4e3d-bdea-0f21d24b7ba1">3. Bam Adebayo</h2>



<p id="block-1b672db2-e975-4088-916e-228d8e7adf85">Adebayo’s case for being the top defender in the NBA right now is strong. His absence from 26 games last season cost him the chance to win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year title, which went to Marcus Smart. Adebayo placed in the bottom four. The Heat, who missed out on the NBA Finals by a single game, allowed a league-low 41.3 points per game to be scored in the paint in the 2021-22 season.</p>



<h2 id="block-84a89c52-c99e-4dd3-8146-9756dedb5845">2. Joel Embiid</h2>



<p id="block-881d2fbd-8d80-439b-821c-24a13c9302de">Embiid averaged 30.6% of the team’s points last year, making him the first center to lead the NBA in scoring since Shaquille O’Neal in 1999-2000. He had 13 games where he scored 40 or more points, including his second career 50-point effort, which came on January 19 against the Magic. The concern of whether or not he will be healthy for the playoffs arises every year, since this has not been the case in the previous two seasons.</p>



<h2 id="block-f53ee6d9-9ab6-4798-92af-973c00f4a9d1">1. Nikola Jokic</h2>



<p id="block-c98b9160-c4ae-408d-9932-4b5ce327ea2a">The previous player to win three straight MVP honors was Larry Bird, who did it from 1984 to 1986. After winning the award the last two years in a row, <strong>Jokic</strong> will have a chance to become the third player to do so.</p>



<p id="block-f99eb8ef-55ba-4d28-bd2d-fb596f8c9eec">He is stunning to see, is unstoppable in the post, and is the finest big-man passer in the history of the game. Not only is he shattering the most complex statistics, but he was also the top offensive player in the league last season based on simple box score analysis.</p>


Top 3 centers in 2022-23 NBA season - thesportsdrops NEWS

Top 3 centers in 2022-23 NBA season


<p id="block-b93cc514-fc81-4945-bcb9-07641874af14">With the advent of the <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/top-3-point-guards-for-2022-23-nba-season-20221120-SPD-3175.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBA</a></strong> in the late 1940s, it became clear that each team required a towering center to have any chance of winning the title. There have been many great centers to play professional basketball in a league that is still expanding after more than 70 years.</p>



<p id="block-93fd3979-5171-4936-a20b-1278c47a9bce">The NBA center position has a rich history of prominence. Many teams rely heavily on this position, and it has been filled by some of the game’s all-time greats. Defenders at the center position must focus on protecting the basket and securing offensive boards.</p>



<p id="block-48a7d217-e941-420c-b891-d6b7b452746d">This particular position has enjoyed a revival in recent years, and in the previous two seasons, a player of this position was awarded the league’s most valuable player trophy, marking the position’s pinnacle. Thus, big, skilled players are returning to the position in droves. These are the three best centers in the NBA right now, who are still yet to reach those highs, as per&nbsp;<em>NBA.com</em>.</p>



<h2 id="block-e481451a-9525-4406-b367-907b917db355">3. Bam Adebayo</h2>



<p id="block-4518d1dd-1b00-4c36-ba6a-074ce4b9b030">Adebayo’s case for being the top defender in the NBA right now is strong. His absence from 26 games last season cost him the chance to win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year title, which went to Marcus Smart. Adebayo placed in the bottom four. The Heat, who missed out on the NBA Finals by a single game, allowed a league-low 41.3 points per game to be scored in the paint in the 2021-22 season.</p>



<h2 id="block-c498f8dd-25b0-4e3d-9149-a8c8c26dce5a">2. Joel Embiid</h2>



<p id="block-9d7f2370-7f15-40f3-a887-e5a28ccf84b8">Embiid averaged 30.6% of the team’s points last year, making him the first center to lead the NBA in scoring since Shaquille O’Neal in 1999-2000. He had 13 games where he scored 40 or more points, including his second career 50-point effort, which came on January 19 against the Magic. The concern of whether or not he will be healthy for the playoffs arises every year, since this has not been the case in the previous two seasons.</p>



<h2 id="block-1f4cfde5-9436-4820-9462-17d38da0c990">1. Nikola Jokic</h2>



<p id="block-28d96002-8130-4f48-835f-d8bfaef50163">The previous player to win three straight MVP honors was Larry Bird, who did it from 1984 to 1986. After winning the award the last two years in a row, <strong>Jokic</strong> will have a chance to become the third player to do so.</p>



<p id="block-c83ceb7d-f4d4-4fc0-8aef-bcf3032de25f">He is stunning to see, is unstoppable in the post, and is the finest big-man passer in the history of the game. Not only is he shattering the most complex statistics, but he was also the top offensive player in the league last season based on simple box score analysis.</p>


Top 3 centers for 2022-23 NBA season - thesportsdrops NEWS

Top 3 centers for 2022-23 NBA season


<p>With the advent of the <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/top-3-point-guards-for-2022-23-nba-season-20221120-SPD-3175.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBA</a></strong> in the late 1940s, it became clear that each team required a towering center to have any chance of winning the title. There have been many great centers to play professional basketball in a league that is still expanding after more than 70 years.</p>



<p>The NBA center position has a rich history of prominence. Many teams rely heavily on this position, and it has been filled by some of the game’s all-time greats. Defenders at the center position must focus on protecting the basket and securing offensive boards.</p>



<p>This particular position has enjoyed a revival in recent years, and in the previous two seasons, a player of this position was awarded the league’s most valuable player trophy, marking the position’s pinnacle. Thus, big, skilled players are returning to the position in droves. These are the three best centers in the NBA right now, who are still yet to reach those highs, as per&nbsp;<em>NBA.com</em>.</p>



<h2>3. Bam Adebayo</h2>



<p>Adebayo’s case for being the top defender in the NBA right now is strong. His absence from 26 games last season cost him the chance to win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year title, which went to Marcus Smart. Adebayo placed in the bottom four. The Heat, who missed out on the NBA Finals by a single game, allowed a league-low 41.3 points per game to be scored in the paint in the 2021-22 season.</p>



<h2>2. Joel Embiid</h2>



<p>Embiid averaged 30.6% of the team’s points last year, making him the first center to lead the NBA in scoring since Shaquille O’Neal in 1999-2000. He had 13 games where he scored 40 or more points, including his second career 50-point effort, which came on January 19 against the Magic. The concern of whether or not he will be healthy for the playoffs arises every year, since this has not been the case in the previous two seasons.</p>



<h2>1. Nikola Jokic</h2>



<p>The previous player to win three straight MVP honors was Larry Bird, who did it from 1984 to 1986. After winning the award the last two years in a row, <strong>Jokic</strong> will have a chance to become the third player to do so. </p>



<p>He is stunning to see, is unstoppable in the post, and is the finest big-man passer in the history of the game. Not only is he shattering the most complex statistics, but he was also the top offensive player in the league last season based on simple box score analysis.</p>



<p>Both <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/he-apologized-were-here-to-win-a-championship-jordan-poole-speaks-out-on-draymond-green-controversy-20221017-SPD-2979.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marcus Smart</a> </strong>and <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/draymond-greens-future-with-warriors-up-in-air-after-andrew-wiggins-and-jordan-poole-extensions-20221015-SPD-2974.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joel Embiid</a> </strong>have a history of tense encounters with one another, including Smart’s expulsion this year for shoving Embiid in the back, which was one of the numerous altercations between the two players over the course of their careers.</p>



<p>This pattern persisted during the third quarter of the Celtics’ season-opening victory against the 76ers on Tuesday night. It was Smart who went down after absorbing an elbow to the back from Embiid as the two battled for a rebound despite Smart being the one who was called for a foul. In the heated confrontation, Smart accused Embiid of engaging in dirty play.</p>



<p>In the aftermath of the incident, Smart and Jaylen Brown confronted Embiid, prompting a separation between the two groups by teammates and officials. The original calls of a personal foul on Smart and a technical foul were upheld after being reviewed by video.</p>



<h2>What Marcus Smart said of incident with Joel Embiid</h2>



<p><em>“Went for a rebound. Basketball play. Went for the steal. Basketball play. Referee blows his whistle, calls a foul. I stop play, my arm’s still stuck in there and he tries to break it. And then I’m the only one who gets a tech. Everybody saw it. I don’t have to keep talking about it. If I did that, I’m probably ejected, suspended three games, four games, fined.</em></p>



<p><em>“But the fact that I was the only one that got I guess something out of that is kind of beyond me. Especially defending DPOY and that’s how he gets treated. It’s tough. “Like I said, it’s maturity. I could have cracked his head open but I didn’t. And that’s the maturity we have. So we move on from it. It is what it is. And we control what we can control,” </em>said Smart after the game.</p>


"My arm’s still stuck in there and he tries to break it" - Marcus Smart rips into Joel Embiid after altercation - thesportsdrops NEWS

"My arm’s still stuck in there and he tries to break it" –  Marcus Smart rips into Joel Embiid after altercation


<p>After a rocky departure from the 76ers, <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/anthony-davis-has-preference-for-different-position-at-lakers-despite-showing-willingness-to-play-center-20221014-SPD-2966.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ben Simmons</a></strong> is gearing up for a comeback season with the Nets. The forward was part of the arrangement that moved James Harden from the Nets to the Sixers in exchange for Harden, who was unhappy in Brooklyn.</p>



<p>In the four years between 2016 and 2022, Ben Simmons and <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-news-james-harden-gets-real-on-the-importance-of-his-own-performances-for-sixers-20221012-SPD-2953.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joel Embiid</a></strong> played together for the 76ers, but it seems that their friendship never went beyond the court. Ugly circumstances surrounded the conclusion of the Embiid-Simmons period.</p>



<p>Speaking to ESPN for an interview, Simmons has now spoken out about the lack of chemistry between himself and Joel Embiid, the talented center for the Philadelphia 76ers. The new star of the Brooklyn Nets was candid when questioned about his relationship with Joel Embiid and whether or not the two had communicated since the deal that brought Simmons to Brooklyn.</p>



<h2>What Ben Simmons said of relationship with Joel Embiid</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“I don’t talk to Jo. We never really spoke. I don’t think there was really a relationship there. Like in terms of a friendship? You can try as hard as you want to try to be close to somebody, be their friend, whatever it is, but everyone is different as people, so for me, it’s never personal. </p><p>“I don’t have any anger or hate towards him. He is who he is and I am who I am. And we’ve got our personal lives. And work is basketball, so in that moment, my goal is to win and I got to win with Jo. He’s a great player, we just didn’t get it done,” Simmons added.</p></blockquote>


"We never really spoke" - Ben Simmons opens up on relationship with ex-teammate Joel Embiid - thesportsdrops NEWS

"We never really spoke" – Ben Simmons opens up on relationship with ex-teammate Joel Embiid

miniaturas


<p>The <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-playoffs-format-how-does-the-nba-postseason-work-126-20220502-SPD-126.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Philadelphia 76ers</a> </strong>have been swept once and knocked out twice in the postseason series since <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/2022-nba-playoffs-jimmy-butler-still-believes-in-heat-despite-sixers-wins-591-20220509-SPD-591.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jimmy Butler</a></strong> joined the<strong> <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/not-even-lebron-james-could-do-it-jonathan-kuminga-becomes-nbas-youngest-player-ever-to-start-in-playoffs-559-20220508-SPD-559.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Miami Heat</a> </strong>three years ago.</p>



<p>The Heat have made it to their second Eastern Conference finals appearance in three years after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers. On the other hand, the 2020 NBA Finals saw them make it to the finals.</p>



<p>Butler left the Sixers for greater and better things, yet the team has stayed stagnant, even after many roster changes.</p>



<h2>Joel Embiid confused why Sixers let Jimmy Butler go</h2>



<p>To make matters worse, Butler’s heroics in the game must have felt like icing on the cake for the Sixers. Because of his outstanding performance, <strong><a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/2021-22-nba-mvp-award-nikola-jokic-edges-out-giannis-antetokounmpo-and-joel-embiid-736-20220513-SPD-736.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joel Embiid</a> </strong>expressed his regret at not having Butler as a teammate after the Heat won the series-clinching game on Thursday evening.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“I’m happy for him. I won’t sit here and say I didn’t wish he was my teammate. I still don’t know how we let him go. But I wish I could have gone to battle with him still. But it is what it is. Just got to keep building and keep trying to reach that goal.</p><p>Obviously, that’s my guy, that’s my brother. I mean, it’s tough. But I’m so proud of him. He’s playing at an unreal level right now. He’s something else right now. And I’m proud of him for being at this level and carrying them and what he’s been able to do.”</p><cite>Embiid said of Butler after the game</cite></blockquote>


Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid and two other biggest 2023 NBA All-Star starter snubs

Top 3 centers in 2022-23 NBA season

Top 3 centers for 2022-23 NBA season

Top 3 centers for 2022-23 NBA season

"My arm’s still stuck in there and he tries to break it" – Marcus Smart rips into Joel Embiid after altercation

"We never really spoke" – Ben Simmons opens up on relationship with ex-teammate Joel Embiid

NBA News: 76ers' Joel Embiid perplexed as to why they let Jimmy Butler leave after defeat to Heat

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