2018 NBA All-Star Game: 7 Possible Debuts

#2 Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid

Stat-line: 23.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.6 spg, 2.0 bpg

The Process, as Embiid likes to call himself (the nickname has stuck with fans), is on track to become the NBA's poster boy as early as this All-Star game. After an exhilarating 31-game spell last season in which he led the Sixers to an above .500 record, he is on pace to better himself statistically in every relevant category.

There is a sense of inevitability when Embiid gets the ball for a post-up. He has the footwork of Hakeem, the power and presence of Shaq and the soft scoring touch of Duncan. He is nearly impossible to contain in post-ups, but his shooting range stretches right out to beyond the arc, from where he's admittedly shooting a below-par 27%; yet his 2.6 attempts per game keep opposition centers wary and open up driving lanes for the likes of Saric and Simmons to exploit.

Double-team him, and he has more than enough skill to make you pay by dishing out to onrushing cutters or open shooters beyond the arc, as evidenced by 3.4 apg rate. On the offensive end, there are few big men who compare with the range of multi-faceted skillset.

He's no slouch on the defensive end either, blocking nearly 2 shots every game while holding opponents to less than 50% on attempts inside the paint. An All-Star game selection is a foregone conclusion for this beast.