Three players have been named to the NBA All-Star Game as replacements for injured players, but Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons is one of those who remains a snub.
With averages of 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game in his first year, his case is pretty strong, but other players have gotten the nod instead. One of these players is Goran Dragic of the Miami Heat – not an undeserving player by any means, but apparently enough to cause a stir in the Australian Parliament.
“He’s already had five triple-doubles, and frankly, no one with two brain cells to rub together would want Goran Dragic on their team over Ben,” said MP Tim Watts, in defense of Melbourne native Simmons.
It’s not hard to see his point. The Heat have played well this season, riding a balanced team effort to the seventh seed in the East, and sure, an All-Star representative for them would be nice. But, man. Goran Dragic didn’t need to catch these strays, and especially not in front of Australia’s House of Representatives.
With the injury loss of New York Knick forward Kristaps Porzingis to an ACL tear this week, Simmons has another chance to get into the All-Star Game. But it’s also worth wondering, just how much traction can this Ben Simmons hype train gain in the political process? If, like, Lou Williams gets tabbed over Simmons, can this cause enough of a huff to sidetrack some kind of health care bill?
The lesson here is: if you’re an elected representative, speak your truth – especially in matters of basketball snubbage.
