Sixers’ Joel Embiid Named to All-NBA Second Team

The votes are in, and once again, some Philadelphia 76ers fans might be a little disappointed or (insert feeling here) about the results.

The NBA voting for the three All-NBA teams were announced earlier this evening, and Joel Embiid was named to the All-NBA second team. The second team is comprised of Embiid, Portland Trailblazers guard Damian Lillard, Phoenix guard Chris Paul, New York Knicks forward Julius Randle, and this guy you may have heard of, Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James.

Embiid received 28 first team votes, 70 second team votes, and two third place votes. (I kinda want to find out what people said Embiid was third team, by the way.) No other Sixer made an All-NBA team after Embiid, Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle were all named to All-NBA Defensive teams last week.

The All-NBA First team consists of Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo – who received the maximum 100 first team votes – MVP winner Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, and Kawhi Leonard.

(Personal thought: Embiid being named to the second team is fine. When you look at the first team, who are you swapping Embiid for?)

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler, LA Clippers forward Paul George, Washington’s Bradley Beal, and Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving make up the third team. Irving is the only Brooklyn Net to make an All-NBA team, by the way. Neither Kevin Durant nor James Harden made an All-NBA team.

(Another personal thought: Jimmy Butler over Devin Booker? Yeah, never mind. I won’t even begin to touch that one.)

Back to Embiid …

Embiid making an All-NBA team has a monetary attachment to it. Now that the big man has made an All-NBA team, he will be eligible for a super max contract. Antetokounmpo was the last player to receive a super max contract when the Bucks gave him a five-year, $228 million contract in December. Embiid has two years left on his current deal and will become an unrestricted free agent in 2023.