Kevin Love has been ruled out of six weeks after undergoing left knee surgery on Tuesday. He will officially miss the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, which means NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is going to choose his replacement on the Eastern Conference roster.
Unlike in the Western Conference, there are only a handful of players in the East deserving of being named an All-Star. Here are the five deserving players who can replace Love in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.
Joel Embiid, C – Philadelphia 76ers
"The Process" is the best rookie in the NBA this season despite playing in limited minutes. He is averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.5 blocks per game in 31 games this season. He also would have made it in the All-Star Game if the old rules still applied, per CSN Philly.
Embiid came in third in the frontcourt voting results behind LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, the fan votes only accounted for 50 percent due to the rule change. He might not get to replace Love on the roster or get a date with Rihanna because he's out with a minor meniscus tear in his knee.
Carmelo Anthony, SF – New York Knicks
Anthony is playing like an All-Star in the last several weeks and he certainly deserves making the All-Star game for the tenth time in his career. He is averaging 23.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. However, he told Newsday that he prefers taking a rest during the All-Star break rather than play.
"I would really like to kind of just utilize this break now that I already put in my mind that I wasn't going. I can use this break physically. Mentally, I think I can use this break," Anthony said.
Bradley Beal, SG – Washington Wizards
Beal is probably the most deserving player to replace Love in the All-Star game. He is having a breakout season for the dangerous Washington Wizards that is now third in the East. He is putting up career highs across the board at 22.3 points, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game this season.
The only problem for Beal is the East roster is already guard-heavy with Paul Millsap and Paul George in the frontcourt. Nevertheless, if the commissioner wants to be right in picking a replacement for Love, he has to reward winning and the Wizards are doing it at the moment.
Hassan Whiteside, C – Miami Heat
The Heat were one of the hottest teams in the NBA in the past couple of weeks. They are now in the thick of the playoff race for the eighth and final spot in the East. It's because of the play of Whiteside, who is averaging 16.7 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.
Goran Dragic, PG – Miami Heat
Along with Whiteside, the revival of the Heat is caused by Dragic. The Slovenian star has turned it up this season and he has always been a borderline All-Star in the NBA. He is putting up 20.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game this season.
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