Alexander will miss the All-Star game due to injury! The World Team needs to add a replacement: Şengün and Embiid emerge as top candidates.

As of February 5th Beijing time, the Thunder officially reported that guard Alexander from Oklahoma City Thunder injured his abdominal muscles during the team's big victory over the Magic on Tuesday night and will be out for a minimum of five upcoming games. He will undergo a follow-up check after the All-Star break.

This implies that the World Team starter who had been chosen will not participate in the event. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver must add a replacement player for the World Team. Rockets center Alperen Şengün and 76ers center Joel Embiid have become the two most prominent candidates on this shortlist. So far this season, Şengün has played 41 games for the Rockets, averaging 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. Embiid has appeared in 29 games for the 76ers, averaging 26.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

Alexander is the leading favorite to repeat as the regular season MVP this year. If his absence lasts only as long as the current re-examination period indicates, it will not affect his eligibility for the award. The Thunder have played 51 games this season, with Alexander participating in 49 of them. Before the All-Star weekend begins, he only needs to miss these five games, allowing him to rest and recover during the All-Star break.

Even if, out of caution, his recovery period extends into early March, his total missed games would only reach 12, still below the 17-game maximum allowed for MVP qualification. In contrast, his main rival — Nuggets center Nikola Jokić — has already missed 16 games this season and can only afford to miss one more game in the remaining schedule to maintain his eligibility.

Regarding the team, the Thunder's final five games before the All-Star break include four opponents that are playoff-level Western Conference teams: the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns, followed by a season finale against the Milwaukee Bucks. So far this season, the Thunder have a 2-0 record without Alexander, having defeated the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz. However, this upcoming stretch will further test the roster depth of the team missing their MVP-caliber guard.