NBA Rising Stars 2024: Rosters, Snubs, Predictions for All-Star Event
They got next.
And next starts now.
The best and brightest young talent from across the NBA will soon converge on Indianapolis for the annual Rising Stars Challenge. For the third consecutive year, this event will feature a three-game tournament among four teams featuring rookies, sophomores and G League players.
The NBA player pool was drafted by Pau Gasol (Team Pau), Tamika Catchings (Team Tamika) and Jalen Rose (Team Jalen), while Detlef Schrempf (Team Detlef) received coaching duties for the G League squad. The three games will feature a target-score format, meaning the two semifinal games will end once one team reaches 40 points, while the championship will have a target score of 25 points.
If you love prospects—and really, who doesn't?—then this will be one of your highlights of All-Star Weekend. Let's dig deeper into the event by laying out the rosters for each team, spotlighting a few up-and-comers who had a credible case for selection and finally predicting a champion.
Rosters
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Team Pau
Victor Wembanyama (Rookie, San Antonio Spurs)
Brandon Miller (Rookie, Charlotte Hornets)
Brandin Podziemski (Rookie, Golden State Warriors)
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Rookie, Miami Heat)
Jabari Smith Jr. (Sophomore, Houston Rockets)
Cason Wallace (Rookie, Oklahoma City Thunder)
Bilal Coulibaly (Rookie, Washington Wizards)
Team Tamika
Paolo Banchero (Sophomore, Orlando Magic)
Jaden Ivey (Sophomore, Detroit Pistons)
Jalen Duren (Sophomore, Detroit Pistons)
Keegan Murray (Sophomore, Sacramento Kings)
Scoot Henderson (Rookie, Portland Trail Blazers)
Keyonte George (Rookie, Utah Jazz)
Dyson Daniels (Sophomore, New Orleans Pelicans—injured)
Vince Williams Jr. (Sophomore, Memphis Grizzlies—injury replacement)
Team Jalen
Chet Holmgren (Rookie, Oklahoma City Thunder)
Jalen Williams (Sophomore, Oklahoma City Thunder)
Bennedict Mathurin (Sophomore, Indiana Pacers)
Shaedon Sharpe (Sophomore, Portland Trail Blazers—injured)
Dereck Lively II (Rookie, Dallas Mavericks)
Jordan Hawkins (Rookie, New Orleans Pelicans)
Walker Kessler (Sophomore, Utah Jazz)
Jeremy Sochan (Sophomore, San Antonio Spurs—injury replacement)
Team Detlef
Izan Almansa (G League Ignite)
Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite)
Ron Holland (G League Ignite)
Mac McClung (Osceola Magic)
Tyler Smith (G League Ignite)
Osach Tshiebwe (Indiana Mad Ants)*
Alondes Williams (Sioux Falls Skyforce)*
*two-way player
Snubs
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Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
Initially snubbed from last season's event, Eason eventually got the call as an injury replacement for Jalen Duren. Eason's own injury issue (a lower leg injury that's kept him out since New Year's Day) might be responsible for this season's omission.
Still, he's so impactful when he hits the hardwood that he deserves a mention here. He shines brightest as a do-it-all defender, but he's also a tireless worker on the glass and a helpful connector on offense.
His makes-good-things-happen skill set can sometimes be hard to quantify, but it's telling that Houston has fared 10.7 points better per 100 possessions with him than without, a 94th percentile efficiency differential across the league, per Cleaning the Glass.
Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers
Nembhard was a Rising Stars selection last season, and you could argue he's been better (albeit in fewer minutes) this time around. In terms of per-36-minutes production, he's averaging more points (14.2, up from 12.3, per Basketball Reference), assists (7.3, 5.9) and steals (1.4, 1.2) while upping his connection rates from the field (48.9, 44.1) and at the line (80, 79).
He doesn't have a big enough role to post gaudy numbers—his actual averages are 8.9 points, 4.6 assists and 0.9 steals in 22.6 minutes—but his decision-making and poise are both advanced for a second-year player.
Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets
It took a while for the Rockets to find a regular rotation role for Whitmore, but the explosive swingman has done everything he can to make up for that lost time. Since the calendar flipped to 2024, he's poured in the fourth-most points of all rookies, trailing only Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Brandon Miller.
It's a shame Whitmore won't be suiting up, because his offensive skills would shine in this environment. Beyond having moon-boots bounce around the basket, he also boasts a three-ball that's found its mark 40.3 percent of the time and an ability to heat up in a hurry. He has topped 15 points nine times this season, and he only logged more than 29 minutes in one of those outings.
Predictions
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Because there's such an abundance of young talent in the Association, you could talk yourself into any team winning this event. Well, almost any team, as Team Detlef clearly faces an uphill climb without established NBA talent on the roster.
Still, saying the tournament is up in the air isn't quite the prediction you're looking to read, so let's give the crystal ball a shake to find a champion.
Team Pau is the pick, and if that comes to fruition, that would give Gasol back-to-back triumphs in this event.
The Hall of Famer wisely spent the No. 1 pick of this event's draft on last summer's No. 1 pick, Wembanyama. Gasol also grabbed the No. 2 pick in Miller, plus a trio of ahead-of-schedule freshman in Jaquez, Wallace and Podziemski. Smith is an easy fit with anyone as a 6'11" forward who can shoot and protect the paint, and Coulibaly is a toolsy teenager who could dazzle alongside his former Metropolitans 92 teammate, Wembanyama.
Team Tamika could make things interesting, as that roster boasts a number of players who can catch fire on offense and completely take a game over. Team Jalen looks loaded on the defensive end, though the absence of Sharpe could leave this club a tad short on offensive firepower.
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