Where Sixers Joel Embiid and James Harden stand in NBA All-Star voting
Embiid trails only Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo in balloting for Eastern Conference frontcourt players. Harden is behind Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell in voting for guards.
Joel Embiid and James Harden rank third at their respective positions in the Eastern Conference following the first returns of fan balloting for the 2023 All-Star Game.
Embiid, with more than 2.2 million votes, is behind the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant (more than 3.1 million votes) and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (nearly 3 million) in the voting for frontcourt players. He is just ahead of the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (nearly 2.2 million votes), before a major drop-off to the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler (more than 477,000 votes).
Embiid entered Thursday ranked second in the NBA in scoring (33.5 points per game) while also averaging 9.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.7 blocks. He has been an All-Star in each of the last five seasons and was runner-up for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player two seasons in a row.
Harden, with nearly 1.2 million votes, is behind the Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving (more than 2 million) and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell (more than 1.6 million) among Eastern Conference guards. He is ahead of the Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (more than 1 million) and the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young (more than 791,000).
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Harden leads the NBA with 10.8 assists per game while averaging 22.3 points and six rebounds. He missed about a month with a foot tendon strain. He is a 10-time All-Star.
Fan voting closes Jan. 21. Those votes, combined with player votes, determine the All-Star starters. The NBA coaches then vote on All-Star reserves.
The All-Star Game will be played Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City.