As the 2025 NBA All-Star game approaches, the fan vote results continue to trickle out, painting a portion of the picture of who will be selected for the starting lineups. In the second return of the fan vote, Tyrese Maxey rose to sixth among guards in the Eastern Conference, while Joel Embiid and Paul George fell to nine and ten, respectively, among frontcourt players.
Despite Philadelpiha’s struggles this season, they still have three players in the thick of the All-Star race, signifying this team’s unrealized talent. Embiid and George have both missed double-digit games, which has surely impacted their votes, and George’s underperformance is undoubtedly also a factor.
Tyrese Maxey, meanwhile, has been doing everything within his power to stabilize the team amidst the occasional absence of both Embiid and George. Maxey led the Sixers to a far-too-close-for-comfort win against the Wizards Wednesday night and, over his last 10 games, has been among the league’s top guards, averaging 26.6 points. 6.8 assists and 2.3 steals.
Maxey’s shooting has also begun to return to form. Not only has Maxey not yet been flirting with the 50/40/90 club as he has before, but this year, the young guard has struggled mightily with efficiency. Over his last ten games, he has picked up his shooting splits to 44.3/37.0/83.6, which is an encouraging sign for the future.
There is still some time before the final All-Star selections are made. Joel Embiid and Paul George have an opportunity to curry some further favor with the voters. Still, truthfully, they would be better off focusing on remaining on the court and contributing to team wins. That would not only be the most team-oriented option but would also raise the opinion of both stars in the ever-changing court of public opinion.
Even if the fans fail to warm to any of the Sixers who could potentially be named, there’s still the player vote and the coaches’ vote to come.
