The 2023 NBA All-Star starters were announced on Thursday. Lebron James tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most All-Star selections with 19. This is James’ 18th time being named a starter.
There players who have performed well up to this point in the season and were snubbed for the All-Star starting lineup. However, there is still a chance to be named to the team as a reserve.
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Here are the snubs from the NBA All-Star starting lineup:
Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers
In the east conference, Antetokounmpo, Durant, Jayson Tatum and Embiid are all worthy starters. But, just three could be selected in as frontcourt starters and Embiid just happened to be left out. He has been an All-Star in the past five years. The Philadelphia 76ers center is the league’s second-leading scorer and is averaging 33.4 points along with 9.8 rebounds a game.
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Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies
Morant made his first All-Star team last year. He is likely to make it to the team as a reserve. Morant is averaging 27.3 points and eight assists per game.
Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics
The Nets star Kyrie Irving is a fan favorite and got the starting nod but Boston’s Jaylen Brown is having a better season. He averaged 29.9 points per game and 7.1 rebounds against Irving’s 26.8 points and 5.1 boards per game.
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Lauri Markkanen – Utah Jazz
The 25-year-old has never been a part of an All-Star game but has performed well throughout the past year. He has started 46 games so far this season and is averaging 24.8 points per game and 8.7 rebounds.
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Domantas Sabonis — Sacramento Kings
Zion Williamson has not played only 29 games and Sabonis was expected to be named as one of the starters. He has started 45 games this season and is leading the league with 12.4 rebounds per game.