Kevin Knox to Replace Injured Lonzo Ball in 2019 NBA Rising Stars Challenge

New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox will replace Lonzo Ball in the 2019 NBA Rising Stars Challenge, the league announced Wednesday.

Ball has missed the Lakers' last seven games with an ankle injury. He was originally given a four-to-six-week timeframe for the injury, so it's no surprise he'll be sitting out through All-Star Weekend.

Knox is averaging 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds on 37.0 percent shooting during his rookie campaign. While he has shown flashes, Knox has struggled mightily with his shotmaking and creation in a lost season for the Knicks. The Kentucky product has just 40 assists in 46 games played.

"I'm going to get criticized my whole career," Knox told reporters in December. "If I played a bad game, there's gonna be people out there that want to try to bring me down. But I always stay up."

Knox's best month came in December, winning Rookie of the Month honors thanks to averages of 17.1 points and 6.0 rebounds. After the team's trade of Kristaps Porzingis, Knox has essentially become the building block of the Knicks franchise—at least until the team finds out who is coming this summer via free agency.

Team World has won two straight and three of the four Rising Stars games since it switched to a World vs. USA format. Knox's addition to the USA roster will give the Americans another athletic big who can stretch the floor, but losing Ball's flashy passing prowess could hurt.