The Philadelphia 76ers could feature their first All-Star duo since 2002

Granted it’s still early days, but the Philadelphia 76ers have every reason to believe they could be featuring their first All-Star duo since 2002.

While their 2017-18 NBA season is just seven games old, the Philadelphia 76ers are certainly making some noise.

First of all, the Sixers are aiming to return to the postseason for the first time since 2012. With their most recent win over the Houston Rockets, the Sixers now hold a 3-4 record, and are quickly developing an identity of their own.

But from an individual perspective, the Sixers could very well be witnessing their first duo featured in an All-Star game since the 2001-02 season.

On that occasion, the Sixers sent Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo to the annual event, coincidentally held in Philadelphia that year. This was Iverson’s third of 11 career All-Star appearances, while the game was Mutombo’s eighth and final All-Star appearance, but his sole appearance as a Sixer.

Fast forward to this season, and the Sixers have a new up-and-coming duo that is quickly establishing itself as a pair of household names despite having just 44 career games between them.

Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have each simply been like a duck to water in the infancy of their NBA careers.

After playing just 31 games over his first three seasons in the league, Embiid is now only just beginning to realize what it’s like to hit the court on a regular basis.

Over his first six games of the season, Embiid is averaging 20.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Considering his injury history, Embiid has averaged just 27.8 minutes per game, a terrific return considering he played a total of just 29 minutes in the preseason lead up.

Like his rookie season last year, Embiid has been simply dominant at both ends of the floor. Thus far, the Sixers have been 11.9 points per 100 possessions better off offensively when he’s been on the court. Basically, the Sixers rank seventh in the league in offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) with him on the floor, and 28th when resting.

Furthermore, the Sixers have been 11.7 points per 100 possessions better off defensively when Embiid has been on the floor. In essence, the Sixers rank eighth in the league for defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) when Embiid is on the floor, and 28th when he’s resting.

For his part, Simmons has had a simply stellar start to his career, averaging 18.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 35.0 minutes per game. As a 6’10” point guard, Simmons has demonstrated maturity and a level of versatility beyond his years. With the ability to see over the defense and distribute, while being able to score in a variety of ways, Simmons simply represents a nightmare for opposing defensive lineups.

As a rookie, Simmons’ efficiency has been terrific, hitting at a 53.5 percent clip from the field. While his only shots from beyond 19 feet from the rim have been half-court heaves, Simmons’ ability to penetrate and get to his spots has certainly more than compensated for his lack of a reliable perimeter shot.

Thus far, Simmons has ranked fourth in the league in drives at 18.2 per game, averaging 9.2 points and 1.7 assists per game from these drives.

All-Star Selection

Naturally, Simmons will be going up against history if he were to be named to the league’s annual event, held this season in Los Angeles. Since Tim Duncan was named in his rookie season in 1998, only two players since have earned that honor in their debut season — Yao Ming in 2003 and Blake Griffin in 2011.

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Through the early stages of the season, Embiid is one of just four players in the league averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. However, the other three players all reside in the Western conference.

It’s that point alone that gives further credence to Simmons and Embiid debuting as All-Stars this season. Over the past offseason, four players who were named to last season’s Eastern Conference All-Star team departed to the West. So with the combination of terrific numbers and a dearth of talent, Simmons and Embiid are in a prime position to capitalize.

As has been the case throughout history, the success of the team tends to have an influence in the selection process. So while their early season form has been elite, the success or failure of the team is bound to have a large bearing on the selection prospects of this duo.

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We’re only seven games into the season, but all Sixers onlookers can’t help but think about the possibilities that lie ahead.