Boston Celtics: Daryl Morey rips Boston media for Joel Embiid All-Star snub

Daryl Morey is taking Joel Embiid’s snub from the 2023 NBA All-Star Game’s Eastern Conference starting lineup hard — and he’s blaming those who cover the Boston Celtics and vote on the February exhibition for why he didn’t make it.

Embiid, despite averaging 33 points and nearly a triple-double, didn’t make the Eastern Conference’s first five over Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Morey went on 975TheFanatic, a sports talk radio station serving Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, to take a swipe at the Boston media, and potentially, Tatum:

Did Daryl Morey say no Boston Celtics deserved to be in the All-Star Game’s starting lineup?

It’s hard exactly how to decipher Morey’s message. Was he saying that Tatum unfairly made the game over Embiid, or is he saying the voters intentionally boosted other candidates to start over the 76ers center?

Because having the best record in the league and having its 30-point-per-game scorer entitles the Celtics to have Tatum make the team. As for the second point, someone like Antetokounmpo or Irving making the team over Embiid is the bigger issue.

Embiid has missed 12 of the 76ers 47 games so far, but he has been one of the most dominant players in the league when healthy. With two other 20-point-per-game scorers having more flash to their games (James Harden, Tyrese Maxey), perhaps voters just aren’t seeing Embiid’s dominance as obviously as Antetokounmpo’s takeovers without Khris Middleton this season or Kyrie Irving’s comeback season after a trade demand over the offseason — this of course following a sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics last April.

Either way, Tatum is an MVP candidate whose spot in the Eastern Conference All-Star team’s starting lineup shouldn’t be questioned.