One of the two injury replacements on the Eastern Conference roster for the upcoming NBA All-player Game is none other than Toronto Raptors player Scottie Barnes.
Barnes and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young will start in place of Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Julius Randle of the New York Knicks.
For the first time in his three NBA seasons, Barnes has been chosen an all-star.
In 35.3 minutes across 50 games, the six-foot-seven Barnes is averaging career-highs of 20.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.48 blocks, and 1.24 steals.
He joins Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only NBA players to have at least 1,000 points, 400 rebounds, 250 assists, 50 blocks and 50 steals this season.
The all-star game will be played on Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Pacers.
Young earned his third NBA All-Star selection in six seasons, all spent with the Hawks.
He is averaging 27.3 points and career highs of 10.9 assists and 1.47 steals in 36.6 minutes in 45 games. The six-foot-one Young has recorded an NBA-high 490 total assists — a category he also led in each of the previous two seasons.
Embiid (lateral meniscus injury in left knee) and Randle (dislocated right shoulder) will not play in the NBA All-Star Game after being selected as a starter and a reserve, respectively. Eastern Conference head coach Doc Rivers of Milwaukee will select a reserve from the East roster to replace Embiid in the starting lineup.
Embiid gets surgery, no timetable for return
Embiid will be evaluated in four weeks after he underwent surgery Tuesday to address an injury to the lateral meniscus in his left knee.
The 76ers did not release any kind of timetable on Embiid’s return.
But there is no doubt, given the nature of the injury, that Embiid will miss a significant amount of time.
The last two NBA scoring champion, Joel Embiid, suffered a left knee injury last Tuesday night during a loss to Golden State. This season, he had already been hindered by knee issues.
Embiid has maintained his MVP-caliber performance while well. At 35.3 points per game, he leads the NBA in scoring. He also averages 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists. Jan. 22 saw him set a career-high 70 points and 18 rebounds in a 133-124 victory over San Antonio.
Following their loss to Dallas on Monday night, the 76ers’ record without him this season is now 4-11. All told, they have lost six out of seven.
