USA vs. World: Rosters, Snubs and Predictions for 2015 Rising Stars Challenge
Penny Hardaway, Allen Iverson, Gilbert Arenas, Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, John Wall, Kyrie Irving and Kenneth Faried—what do all of these names have in common?
They were MVPs in the Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend before they became full-blown All-Stars. The league’s future will once again be on display in this year’s All-Star Weekend, and someone will add his name to that illustrious list.
The only twist is that patriotism will play a role this year, as the game will pit a United States roster up against a World roster. Here is a look at the essential information for that showdown.
BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge
Matchup: USA vs. World
Date: Friday, Feb. 13
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, New York
TV: TNT
Rosters
| Nerlens Noel | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Zach LaVine | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Victor Oladipo | Orlando Magic |
| Cody Zeller | Charlotte Hornets |
| Mason Plumlee | Brooklyn Nets |
| Michael Carter-Williams | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Trey Burke | Utah Jazz |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Detroit Pistons |
| Shabazz Muhammad | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Elfrid Payton | Orlando Magic |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Steven Adams (injured, will not play) | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Gorgui Dieng | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Andrew Wiggins | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Bojan Bogdanovic | Brooklyn Nets |
| Kelly Olynyk | Boston Celtics |
| Dante Exum | Utah Jazz |
| Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz |
| Nikola Mirotic | Chicago Bulls |
| Jusuf Nurkic (injury replacement for Adams) | Denver Nuggets |
| Dennis Schroder | Atlanta Hawks |
Snubs
As is the case with almost any All-Star Weekend event, there were some snubs for the Rising Stars Challenge.
Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics missed some time this year with injuries and may only average 6.7 points and 3.6 assists per game, but there is something to be said for his lockdown defense on the perimeter.
Ultimately, defense is rarely rewarded at All-Star events, but Smart deserves recognition for his willingness to guard the opponent’s best player on the outside despite his status as a rookie.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked if he thought Smart was snubbed, via A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com: “Yes. So...that was my honest answer. The honest answer is I feel bad anytime somebody feels like that, if they're close to an honor like that."
Elsewhere, Ben McLemore of the Sacramento Kings is averaging 11.7 points per game behind a 36 percent shooting clip from three-point range (as of Tuesday). His points, rebounds, assists, steals, minutes, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and three-point percentage numbers are all up from his rookie season, and making the roster would have been recognition for his improvement.
Speaking of improvement from the beginning of the year to now, Robert Covington of the Philadelphia 76ers has developed into something of a go-to option on the offensive end and is averaging 13.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
He has actually scored in double figures in eight consecutive games, including two straight efforts of better than 20 points.
Finally, Tim Hardaway Jr. could have made the game behind his 11.1 points per game and 34 percent shooting clip from downtown. If nothing else, he could give the New York fans in attendance something to cheer for in this game.
Format
NBA.com broke down the new format in detail here.
The game will match rookies and second-year players from the United States against rookies and second-year players from any other country.
Each roster has to consist of 10 players and include four guards, four frontcourt players and two additional players (position does not matter for the two extra players). What’s more, both the U.S. and international teams have to feature at least three rookies and three second-year players on the roster, so neither team can be stacked exclusively with rookies or second-year guys.
Prediction
Ultimately, All-Star games come down to star power, and the 2015 Rising Stars Challenge will be no different.
While both rosters have solid, formidable options, the World team features two of the biggest names in the game in Andrew Wiggins and Giannis Antetokounmpo. What’s more, both are playing impressive basketball as of late and will carry that momentum into the Rising Stars Challenge as an opportunity to announce their presence to the league’s casual fans.
While Wiggins’ 15.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and willingness to guard the opponent’s best player are impressive, it is his tendency to play at his best under the brightest lights that really stands out for a rookie. NBA TV highlighted one of those games:
Wiggins is starting to separate himself from the other rookies in this game, as ESPN’s Marc Stein noted:
He and Antetokounmpo will team up to lead the World team to a victory over the U.S.
Antetokounmpo has four double-doubles in his last six games, including two efforts that saw him score 25 points and 27 points in back-to-back nights. The Milwaukee Bucks’ 6’11” freak of an athlete is starting to grow more comfortable in his role as an NBA contributor, and his pure athleticism and ability to dominate on the boards has been a problem for opponents.
The two teams will trade dunks and spectacular plays for the first three quarters of this defense-optional contest, but Antetokounmpo and Wiggins will make the winning plays in crunch time when the effort level gets turned up.
Prediction: World 137, United States 130
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