Mixed into the NBA All-Star Weekend is the very exciting Rising Stars Challenge game on Friday, February 14th. The game is guaranteed to be exciting with the very best rookie and sophomore players facing off against each other.
Being that the game is on Valentine’s Day evening, we wanted to show a little love to the guys we’ll be watching closely. These are the guys who are not only future Rising Stars, but future faces of their respective franchises.
The rest of the line-up includes:
Steven Adams – Oklahoma City Thunder
Pero Antic – Atlanta Hawks
Harrison Barnes – Golden State Warriors
Bradley Beal – Washington Wizards
Trey Burke – Utah Jazz
Tim Hardaway, Jr. – New York Knicks
Terrence Jones – Houston Rockets
Victor Oladipo – Orlando Magic
Mason Plumlee – Brooklyn Nets
Jared Sullinger – Boston Celtics
Jonas Valanciunas – Toronto Raptors
Dion Waiters – Cleveland Cavaliers
Brian Reddoch is a CraveOnline reporter and rabid fan of all teams Seattle. You can follow him on Twitter @ReddReddoch or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Getty
Rising Stars To Watch
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Anthony Davis – New Orleans Pelicans
Owner of the most famous uni-brow since Frida Kahlo, Davis is a future MVP. He does everything well from outside defense to shot blocking to shooting threes to attacking the paint. The Pelicans are looking forward to years of him being the face of the franchise. He’s well on his way to perennial stardom; the sophomore has averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds a game this year.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks
The “Greek Freak” was unheard of to most prior to last year’s draft as he didn’t play college ball in the U.S -- he played in Greece rather. The skills are definitely raw, but he is a great all around talent that is fun to watch. He has a great blend of grace and size who averages a dunk per game. The Bucks took a risk on Antetokounmpo but he is proving to be a great foundation. Exhibition games tend to be more open with better flow so scan your eyes high and wait for a lot of alley-oops.
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Michael Carter-Williams – Philadelphia 76ers
Carter-Williams is the front-runner for the Rookie of the Year honors. So far, he leads all rooks in scoring (17.3), assists (6.6), steals (2.3), and rebounding (5.4) and only plays 34 minutes per game. His breakthrough is a bit of a surprise considering he was drafted 11th, so consider the Rising Stars game his chance to prove that he is the best rookie in the league.
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Andre Drummond – Detroit Pistons
If Sprite ever expanded the Slam Dunk contest to be in-games, then our money would be on Drummond to win in this year’s Rising Stars game. He is more than flashy dunks. He is third in rebounds league-wide (3.72 per game) keeping the Pistons reputation for hard-nose defense alive. He deserved an All-Star nod as he is already one of the top centers in the NBA.
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Kelly Olynk – Boston Celtics
Watching Kelly Olynk play is like watching an all-grown up Kelly Leak from the Bad News Bears play basketball. This is a bonus pick as the Gonzaga alum has been a bit of a disappointment in the statistics department. Numbers aside, the luscious flowing locks of his hair is a fun sight.
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Damian Lillard – Portland Trailblazers
The sophomore Trailblazer will have a very busy All-Star Weekend. He is the only player chosen for both the Rising Stars Challenge and the All-Star Game with the big boys and defend his title in the Skills Challenge AND is participating in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest. The point guard will be front and center all weekend long. He was the unanimous Rookie of the Year last year and will use the All-Star weekend to show off his game once again.
