NBA Rising Stars Challenge 2015: Rosters, New Format and MVP Pick
A shake-up in the selection format and an infusion of star-studded young talent are only increasing anticipation for the NBA Rising Stars Challenge, which is becoming a bigger and bigger staple of All-Star weekend.
The event has been around every year since 2000, allowing for some of the league's most promising young players not yet capable of making the 12-man conference rosters to get in on the action. For the very best, it will be just the first of many visits to All-Star weekend in their careers.
We've seen a number of different formats in the Rising Stars Challenge over the years, but the one rolled out for the 2015 edition—while yet to be played—has the feel of one that should be around for a while.
Let's break down everything you need to know about the Rising Stars Challenge.
When: Friday, February 13, 2015
Where: Barclays Center
Start Time (ET): 9 p.m.
TV: TNT
| Trey Burke (Jazz) | Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Pistons) | Bojan Bogdanovic (Nets) |
| Robert Covington (76ers) | Matthew Dellavedova (Cavaliers) |
| Zach LaVine (Timberwolves) | Gorgui Dieng (Timberwolves) |
| Shabazz Muhammad (Timberwolves) | Dante Exum (Jazz) |
| Nerlens Noel (76ers) | Rudy Gobert (Jazz) |
| Victor Oladipo (Magic) | Nikola Mirotic (Bulls) |
| Elfrid Payton (Magic) | Kostas Papanikolaou (Rockets) |
| Mason Plumlee (Nets) | Dennis Schroder (Hawks) |
| Cody Zeller (Hornets) | Andrew Wiggins (Timberwolves) |
Injury Note: U.S. guard Michael Carter-Williams (76ers) and World forwards Steven Adams (Thunder), Jusuf Nurkic (Nuggets) and Kelly Olynyk (Celtics) were replaced due to injury, per NBA.com.
New Format Changes
A recent influx of international talent has allowed for a format change to the Rising Stars Challenge that may not have been possible years ago.
For the 2015 event, the league has rolled out a new format for selecting the teams that pegs an all-American squad of young talents against the league's best first- and second-year players from the rest of the world.
NBA captured a sweet graphic of the matchup:
It's a big change from recent years, which included matchups between rookies and sophomores before two years of a celebrity draft format. This year, the U.S. and World teams are required to have at least three rookies and three sophomores with four guards, four frontcourt players and two swingmen.
Getting these players up to play hasn't been much of a problem, with each of the youngsters intent on assuming his share of the spotlight. But there's no better way to increase the level of competition than by bringing national ties into it.
In a league so dominated by American players both now and in the past, the chance to turn some heads and build momentum for an influx of young international talent won't be lost on the World players.
Plus, they could have the more stacked roster, as Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders mused:
The old format between rookies and sophomores wasn't uneven, as the rooks took the final two games, but the need to shake things up was apparent. It's never an issue to get the players competing individually, but the fact that winning wasn't really important led to nonexistent defense.
Need proof? The last time any team scored below 110 in the game was 2008—and the year before that produced a 167-150 scoreline.
While uncontested dunks and alley-oops are fun and all, that's what All-Star Saturday is for. With the new U.S. vs. World format, these young stars will hopefully put more of a focus on defending, as some important bragging rights will be on the table.
MVP Pick: Andrew Wiggins
The Minnesota Timberwolves are crashing the Rising Stars Challenge with four players (two on each team), but there's no doubting who the ringleader is.
Rookie Andrew Wiggins' emergence has helped Minnesota fans forget about Kevin Love. He's averaging 15.2 points and over four rebounds per game, coming into his own much faster than most expected and turning the heads of the league's most well-known coaches, per his team's Twitter:
Wiggins has won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month honor three times in a season that has seen only three months go by. He's started in every game so far, and although he's just behind Kevin Martin as the team's leading scorer, he is all the more valuable to the team's overall efficiency with his strong defense and athleticism.
The only player capable of going toe-to-toe with Wiggins on the U.S. team is Victor Oladipo, but the advantage the World boasts in the post should open up the floor for the Canadian. The likes of Rudy Gobert and teammate Gorgui Dieng will push around the Americans in the paint and keep Wiggins attacking the basket with ease.
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