The Sixers will have multiple players in the All-Star Game for the third consecutive year as Ben Simmons made his third All-Star Game.
The All-Star Reserves were announced tonight, with The Athletic’s Shams Charania breaking the news a half-hour earlier than expected. Making the list was Sixers’ star, Ben Simmons who is in the midst of a bounceback season.
Simmons started noticeably slow, averaging just over 13 points per game, eight rebounds, and nearly eight assists. A strong February has jump-started his season, though, allowing him to make his third straight All-Star Game.
During his strong month, Simmons has averaged over 22 points, 8.6 rebounds, and eight assists per game. That’s a near 10 point increase while not only maintaining but exceeding his rebounding and assist numbers.
It’s an exciting thought that Simmons has earned an All-Star appearance in three of his first four years. Truly a rare accomplishment, and it shows just how special Simmons is. What’s crazy is that this is only the beginning.
Hopefully, this is just the beginning for Simmons, and he can continue this dominant streak. The Sixers will need him at the top of his game if they’re going to contend this year.
The Sixers Snub
Noticeably absent was the Sixers’, often forgotten, third star, Tobias Harris. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, it seems for Harris. The 10-year vet has put together his best season as a pro and still hasn’t gotten the recognition he deserves.
Harris has averaged an impressive 20.6 points and 7.8 rebounds so far this season. What’s more, Harris is 0.6% away from becoming a member of the rare 50/40/90 club.
Unfortunately, despite this, Tobias Harris has once again been overlooked. This will surely motivate Harris going forward this season and may even help the Sixers’ potential even further.
That type of motivation could be just what this Sixers team needs. For now, though, congratulations to Ben Simmons and a sincere “better luck next year” to Tobias Harris.
