The Orlando Magic’s “Rising Stars” will probably be on opposing groups throughout All-Star Weekend after being taken with the primary two picks in Tuesday’s draft.
Pau Gasol took Magic rookie ahead Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 choose whereas Deron Williams chosen Magic second-year ahead Franz Wagner with the No. 2 choose within the Rising Stars draft.
Former NBA stars Gasol, Williams, Joakim Noah and Jason Terry are serving as honorary coaches for the Rising Stars event, which will probably be performed Feb. 17 at Vivint Arena as a part of All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City.
“I have to go with a player who’s having a great year,” Gasol stated earlier than drafting Banchero, the No. 1 choose in final 12 months’s NBA draft. “Extremely talented. To me, if you look at this list, is probably the first guy that’s going to make the All-Star Game — probably in a year or two.”
Banchero’s averaging a team-high 20.3 factors, 6.6 rebounds and three.7 assists in 33.7 minutes (47 video games). He leads all rookies in scoring and is second amongst rookies and second-year gamers, solely behind Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (21.6 factors). Banchero was the back-to-back Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for video games performed in December and January.
“I’m going to go with Paolo’s teammate — Franz Wagner, who’s having a heck of a season himself,” Williams stated earlier than drafting him. “He’s playing terrific this year. Plays for my guy coach [Jamahl] Mosley down in Orlando. Very clutch kid. We’ll definitely need that.”
Wagner, the No. 8 choose within the 2021 draft, is averaging 19.5 factors (48.6% capturing, 36.9% on 3s), 4.1 rebounds and three.4 assists in 33.2 minutes (53 video games). He’s third in scoring amongst rookies and second-year gamers. Wagner was named to the 2021-22 All-Rookie first staff and performed within the Rising Stars event final 12 months.
The Rising Stars format, which was altered final season, options 4 seven-player groups competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three video games (two semifinal video games and one championship contest) as an alternative of a single exhibition as in earlier years.
Each sport will probably be performed to a goal rating. The two semifinals — Games 1 and a couple of — will probably be performed till a staff reaches 40 factors whereas Game 3 will probably be performed till a staff reaches 25 factors to find out the event champion.
The pool of 28 gamers for Rising Stars consists of 11 rookies, 10 second-year NBA gamers and 7 G League gamers.
The 21 NBA gamers had been drafted onto three seven-player groups by Gasol, Noah and Williams. The G League gamers will probably be on the fourth staff and coached by Terry.
Team Pau
- Paolo Banchero (Magic);
- Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers);
- Jaden Ivey (Pistons);
- Scottie Barnes (Raptors);
- Jose Alvarado (Pelicans);
- Keegan Murray (Kings);
- Andrew Nembhard (Pacers).
Team Deron
- Franz Wagner (Magic);
- Jalen Green (Rockets);
- Alperen Sengun (Rockets);
- Trey Murphy III (Pelicans);
- AJ Griffin (Hawks);
- Bones Hyland (Nuggets);
- Walker Kessler (Jazz).
Team Joakim
- Evan Mobley (Cavaliers);
- Josh Giddey (Thunder);
- Jalen Williams (Thunder);
- Jeremy Sochan (Spurs);
- Quentin Grimes (Knicks);
- Jabari Smith Jr. (Rockets);
- Jalen Duren (Pistons).
Team G League
- Sidy Cissoko, G League Ignite;
- Scoot Henderson, G League Ignite;
- Mojave King, G League Ignite;
- Kenneth Lofton Jr., Memphis Hustle;
- Mac McClung, Delaware Blue Coats;
- Leonard Miller, G League Ignite;
- Scotty Pippen Jr., South Bay Lakers.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or observe him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com