He’s leading all rookies in rebounding with 9.7 per game and is second in scoring with more than 16 points per game.
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Guys like Myles Turner, Julius Randle and Justise Winslow would normally be getting a chance to play but won’t now.
Former UL point guard Elfrid Payton of the Orlando Magic was picked Wednesday to play for a second straight year in the Rising Stars Challenge, a major honor for young National Basketball Association talent.
Mudiay and Jokic are joined on the World Team by Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks, Bojan Bogdanovic of the Brooklyn Nets, Clint Capela of the Houston Rockets, Mario Hezonja of the Orlando Magic, Nikola Mirotic of the Chicago Bulls and Raul Neto of the Utah Jazz.
The Rising Stars game features first- and second-year players as voted by National Basketball Association assistant coaches.
Porzingis, a 2.21m center, leads all National Basketball Association rookies in blocked shots with 2.0 a game and ranks third among rookie scorers at 14.0 points a game.
Picks No. 2 and 3 from 2015 will also be participating in the game, as D’Angelo Russell and Jahlil Okafor will suit up for the U.S. Team. LaVine and Towns will play for the U.S. Team, while Wiggins will play for the World Team. The teams must also have at least three first-year players and three sophomores.
The Rising Stars Challenge will air live from Toronto’s Air Canada Centre on Friday, February 12th, beginning at 9 PM Eastern.
NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game.
Last year, the league announced that the event would have a new format this season that “pits first- and second-year National Basketball Association players from the United States against first- and second-year National Basketball Association players from around the world”.
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Marcus Smart will receive his first taste of NBA All-Star Weekend next month.
