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| arizonasports.com |
NBA All-Star weekend brings out stars and celebrities from
all different genres. From the 3-point contest to Slam Dunk competition, there
are names to be made on numerous different platforms for NBA players. One
aspect of All-Star weekend that is overlooked is the BBVA Compass Rising Star
Challenge.
The Rising Star Challenge pits NBA rookies and second year
players in a game to showcase the best youngsters in the NBA. The game used to
pit the Rookies and Sophomores against each other, but the newest format places
players from both years in a pool as TNT personalities will instead draft teams
to play against each other. It is a glorified pick-up game but one that
up-and-coming NBA players could make a name for themselves in as it is the only
time younger players get a chance to show off their talents.
This season the New York Knicks will be represented in the
game once again by Tim Hardaway Jr. For a team that has drafted as poorly and
held onto younger players as infrequently as the Knicks, they have been well
represented in the past couple of seasons. In 2012 Jeremy Lin and Landry Fields
both partook for the Knicks, Fields a multiple time participant as he was also
named to the team as a rookie in 2011. Danilo Gallinari preceded them in 2010,
Wilson Chandler in 2009, David Lee in 2007 and both Channing Frye and Nate
Robinson participated in 2006.
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| Getty Images |
Hardaway Jr. is well deserving of a place in the player pool
this season, averaging 8.6 points on 45.9 percent shooting from the field, 40.9
percent from behind the three point line and 82.5 from the foul line. Amongst
qualifying rookies, Hardaway Jr. ranks fourth in scoring, second in shooting
percentage, second in three point shooting percentage and fourth in free throw
percentage. Hardaway Jr., who was the 24th overall pick in the 2013
Draft, looks to have been a steal for the Knicks and someone worth keeping onto
for the long haul.
Hardaway Jr. will be joined by 17 other players for the
Rising Stars Challenge; Steven Adams, Rookie, Oklahoma City Thunder; Pero Antic,
Rookie, Atlanta Hawks; Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rookie, Milwaukee Bucks; Harrison
Barnes, Sophomore, Golden State Warriors; Bradley Beal, Sophomore, Washington
Wizards; Trey Burke, Rookie, Utah Jazz; Michael Carter-Williams, Rookie,
Philadelphia 76ers; Anthony Davis, Sophomore, New Orleans Pelicans; Andre
Drummond, Sophomore, Detroit Pistons; Terrence Jones, Sophomore, Houston
Rockets; Damian Lillard, Sophomore, Portland Trail Blazers; Victor Oladipo,
Rookie, Orlando Magic; Kelly Olynyk, Rookie, Boston Celtics; Mason Plumlee,
Rookie, Brooklyn Nets; Jared Sullinger, Sophomore, Boston Celtics; Jonas
Valanciunas, Sophomore, Toronto Raptors; Dion Waiters, Sophomore, Cleveland
Cavaliers.
Taking a closer look at the list you will be able to
reinforce what many people were saying about the 2013 NBA Draft Class being one
of the weakest ones ever. Notice that nine lottery picks, Anthony Bennett, Otto
Porter, Cody Zeller, Alex Len, Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore, Kentavious
Caldwell-Pope, C.J. McCollum and Shabazz Muhammad are all absent from the pool.
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