Philadelphia 76ers: What should Joel Embiid do on All-Star weekend?

With Joel Embiid missing the Philadelphia 76ers recent home game against the Heat, what should the first time All-Star do this weekend in LA?

Philadelphia 76ers fans, you’ve finally got an All-Star!

Joel Embiid, the team’s immensely talented cornerstone has put together an incredibly compelling sophomore campaign, averaging a double-double while leading the Sixers in both points (23.7) and rebounds (11.1) per game, and most importantly, he’s appeared in 44 games. After appearing in only 31 games last season, the young center is currently on pace to double that mark and looks like he may finally be on his way to becoming a full-time player.

But unfortunately for the 76ers, he’s still missing his fair share of games.

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After appearing in four straight home games at the Wells Fargo Center, the team’s medical staff held their best player out due to a minor ankle injury, in a move that almost cost the team a game against the Heat.

So with Embiid not healthy enough to appear in the team’s final home game before the break, should he be allowed to participate at All-Star weekend?

Currently, Embiid is scheduled to appear in three events at All-Star weekend, including the Rising Star game on Friday, the skills challenge on Saturday, and the big event, the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, but what should he appear in all three events?

If Embiid’s ankle is not fully healed, it would be incredibly unlikely that he’d be allowed to appear in the Rising Star game, a contest that pits the league’s best young players against each other. With the All-Star game two days away, the Rising Star game is the event he’s least likely to appear in, but what about the other two events?

With currently injured Kristaps Porzingis having won the skills challenge last season, a contest usually won by smaller players, I could totally see Embiid, if fully healthy, wanting to put his moves on display on national television. The Cameroonian big man obviously loves to put on a show, whether it be shooting threes, blocking shots, or slam down the rock, so why not allow one of the league’s biggest showman put on a show on national television?

As for the All-Star game, it seems incredibly unlikely that Embiid will not at least dress for the game, as this is the biggest accomplishment of his ascending career. Very few second-year players get invited to the All-Star game, and even fewer are named starters for the event, so being able to hear his named called at the Staple Center with his family in attendance could be an incredible ego boost for a firey performer primed to take his team to the playoffs for the first time in the Brett Brown-era.

While it may not be fun to watch for fans who spent their hard earned money to see the center play against the Heat, watching Embiid put on a show with Philadelphia on his chest in the skills challenge, and watching The Process lineup alongside Steph Curry at the All-Star game should be a point of pride for all true Philly fans, and would make All-Star weekend a much watch event in the City of Brotherly Love.

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Though it would obviously be a shame if he got injured in an exhibition game, especially after how cautious the team’s medical staff has been over his four-year tenure in South Philly, it would also be a shame to rob Embiid of the moment he’s worked so hard for. Being initiated into the exclusive club of NBA All-Star game starters could very well give Embiid that final bump needed to take his game over the top, and make the 76ers a playoff team, and that reward is seriously worth the risk.