Embiid earns a high honor; will Rivers coach All-Star Game?

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The 15-6 Sixers will wrap up their three-game road trip Wednesday night against the 10-11 Hornets. 

Here are the essentials for tonight’s game:

  • When: 7 p.m. with Sixers Pregame Live at 6:15 p.m. 
  • Where: Spectrum Center 
  • Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia 
  • Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the MyTeams app 

And here are three storylines to watch: 

High honor for Embiid

Joel Embiid participated in the Sixers’ practice Tuesday after missing the team’s game against the Pacers with back tightness. Later, he learned that he was named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Month for late December and January. The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic was the Player of the Month in the West. 

Through his first 16 games, Embiid has averaged 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals. He’s scored 136 points per 100 shot attempts, according to Cleaning the Glass, which is an incredible figure for a high-usage big man. ESPN’s Zach Lowe notes Embiid’s current average of 12.9 free throw attempts per 36 minutes would be the highest in NBA history, better than Wilt Chamberlain's 12.6 in the 1961-62 season.

However one feels about whether Embiid should be the MVP through the first quarter of the season, there’s no question he’s played at an MVP kind of level. Jokic has been special, too, and it could end up being a fun race this year between the two big men. 

Streaking against Charlotte 

The Sixers have won 13 consecutive games against the Hornets, with their last loss to Charlotte on Nov. 2, 2016. Cody Zeller is the only player who took part in that game that will also play Wednesday night at Spectrum Center. 

Charlotte has a streak of its own going — three straight wins against strong competition in the Pacers, Bucks and Heat. The team will be without two usual starters, though, as PJ Washington is out because of a right foot sprain and Terry Rozier is sidelined by a right ankle sprain. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges will start.

Ball, the Eastern Conference’s Rookie of the Month, started for his first time in the NBA during the Hornets’ win over Miami. Malik Monk, who’s been outside of Charlotte’s rotation for much of this season, scored a career-high 36 points in that victory. 

Rivers coaching the All-Star Game? 

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA and NBPA are “progressing toward an agreement for an All-Star Game on March 7.” 

The league did not originally intend to hold a game, stating that “Public health conditions prevented the Pacers, the NBA All-Star Host Committee and the NBA from appropriately planning and executing fan-focused All-Star activities in Indianapolis that were envisioned for this February.” It now seems, however, that the NBA is determined to play at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Typically, the coaches for the teams with the best record in the East and West are selected to coach the All-Star Game. Doc Rivers has played in one All-Star Game and coached in two. With the Sixers leading the Eastern Conference, what are his thoughts on possibly participating in an unusual All-Star event this year?

“We’re going to have (Jeff) Van Gundy and Mark Jackson do it,” he joked. “I’m making this up. I think Van Gundy should coach the West and Mark coach the East.”

Rivers isn’t concerned with the question of whether the game itself is a prudent idea.

“No, I don’t think about that,” he said. “That’s more league stuff; I try to stay out of that. Obviously, all coaches would take the vacation time off. But listen, if it’s good for the league, we should have it. I’m not smart enough to know what’s good for the league in that case, but I’m a true believer in that. If it’s good for the league overall, then we should have an All-Star Game. They’ll figure out what is and what isn’t, especially with all the safety protocols.”

If the Sixers maintain their place at the top of the East, it’s something Rivers might start thinking about a bit more come March. 

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