Was Tobias Harris Snubbed From the 2020 NBA All-Star Game?

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris seemed like he was making a strong push to make the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

After weeks of waiting as the fans, players, and chosen media members voted for their 2020 NBA All-Stars, the results are in. Just like last season, the Philadelphia 76ers will have two players representing their team at the All-Star game in Chicago on February 16th.

Sixers' starting center Joel Embiid was named a starter last week, after receiving the third-most amount of votes by the fans, and falling within the top two by players and the media. As far as the other Sixers' inductee goes, Ben Simmons had to get in with a little help from his peers and the selection committee.

Considering how polarizing a player like Simmons is to the outside world, he wasn't considered to be a fan favorite by any stretch. Hence the reason why he landed eighth in fan voting, as opposed to landing top five by all other voting parties.

Ultimately, though, Simmons was chosen for the big game. Now, Simmons and Embiid will head into All-Star weekend on a roster representing the Sixers for a second consecutive season. At a point this season, it seemed as if the Sixers were bound to get three players in the game, but the final results prove that won't be the case.

Sixers' starting forward Tobias Harris has had himself a solid season so far. As the max contract signee has proven his worth from time to time, many were beginning to believe Harris was putting together a stellar case to becoming an All-Star for the first time in his career. That was a goal of his a couple of months back. Unfortunately, Harris fell short.

From the moment the first wave of fan votes came out, it was evident that Harris was climbing an uphill battle. Considering the fan votes hold a lot of weight in the competition, failing to make the top ten was going to play a significant part in keeping Harris out of the game. Although the Sixers tried hard to campaign for Harris, fans around the NBA weren't buying in on the Philly forward.

Therefore, his chances of landing on a roster became pretty slim from the jump. Seeing which reserves did make it to represent the Eastern Conference does raise the question, though; Did Tobias Harris get snubbed from the All-Star game?

Jimmy Butler, Khris Middleton, Domantas Sabonis, Jayson Tatum, and Bam Adebayo were Harris' competition coming out of the East (excluding Ben Simmons). Butler, who hasn't shot excellent numbers -- especially as of late, is still a key contributor to the surprisingly impressive Miami Heat this year.

As the former Sixer averages 20 points-per-game, headlining an overachieving Miami team, it was clear as day Harris wasn't going to get any nods over him. As far as Middleton goes, the Milwaukee Bucks forward has made his presence felt on the Eastern Conference's best team.

Whenever the Bucks are brought up, the first player talked about is always Giannis Antetokoumpo. However, Middleton has made a strong case this year to become an All-Star as he averages 20 points-per-game, shooting efficiently from all over the floor. In his eighth season, Middleton has drained a career-high of 50-percent of his shots from the field, knocking down an impressive 43-percent of his shots from three.

Speaking of career-highs, Celtics young star Jayson Tatum has averaged six more points-per-game this year, in comparison to his sophomore effort. With 21 points-per-game, and nearly seven rebounds per, Tatum has proven that he is a real deal up and comer in the NBA and he's only getting better.

The other two names on the list, Domantas Sabonis and Bam Adebayo might not be as reliable scorers as the aforementioned players. Still, they hold substantial value in other aspects of the game, all while contributing to the scorer's column as well. As Sabonis averages an impressive 12 rebounds-per-game, he ranks sixth overall in that category.

Adebayo is in the same boat. With the big man averaging ten rebounds-per-game while contributing to 16 points-per-matchup, the Heat center has proven his worth to become an All-Star backup center out of the East.

Viewing the list of players who made the cut, it's really tough to argue and say the selection committee got it all wrong. Could a case be made for Tobias Harris? Sure. But he's not the only potential snub in the conversation coming out of the East either.

Harris has had his moments throughout the year, no doubt. Unfortunately, there were times he was inconsistent. Mix that in with the fact the Sixers are placed sixth in the East, which is considered to be underachieving for them, and it doesn't really build a strong argument for the forward. There's always next year for Tobias.