By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Finland’s pride Lauri Markkanen will start in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game due to the injury of Zion Williamson. Joel Embiid and Ja Morant were also named “replacement” starters, since Steph Curry and Kevin Durant will be also missing, while Anthony Edward, De’Aaron Fox and Pascal Siakam were added in the rosters.
Per the press release: “Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam have been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as injury replacements for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game
The three players will replace Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (left superior tib/fib sprain), Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (right knee MCL sprain) and New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (strained right hamstring).
In addition, Curry, Durant and Williamson will be replaced as starters in the NBA All-Star Game by three players who were previously selected as All-Star reserves: Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.
This is the first NBA All-Star selection for both Edwards and Fox and the second for Siakam.
Edwards, the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is posting career highs in points (24.7 ppg), rebounds (6.0 rpg), assists (4.6 apg), steals (1.66 spg), field goal percentage (46.4%) and three-point field goal percentage (36.7%) in his third NBA season. He leads the NBA in total steals (96) and minutes (2,099).
Fox is averaging 24.2 points, 6.3 assists and a career-high 4.3 rebounds while shooting a career-high 50.4% from the field in his sixth NBA season. He leads the NBA with 128 points in clutch situations, which occur when the scoring margin of a game is within five points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime.
Siakam is an NBA All-Star for the first time since the 2019-20 season, when he became the first NBA G League alum to start an NBA All-Star Game. A seven-year NBA veteran from Cameroon, he is averaging a career-high 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and a career-high 6.2 assists in an NBA-high 37.5 minutes this season.
Embiid, Markkanen and Morant will be selected with the starters and Edwards, Fox and Siakam will be selected with the reserves in the NBA All-Star Draft presented by Jordan Brand, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 19″.