The rosters for the NBA’s Rising Stars Challenge have been released. The game, which takes place on the Friday of All-Star Weekend and will be played in Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, features the NBA’s top rookies and sophomores. One team features players born in the United States, while the other includes players born in the rest of the world.
Here are the 2016 NBA Rising Stars Challenge rosters
Kristaps Porzingis and Karl-Anthony Towns are the standouts in the World vs. U.S. format, but what happened to Justise Winslow and Boban Marjanovic?
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Last year's No. 1 pick and current Rookie of the Year favorite Karl-Anthony Towns headlines the U.S. team. Towns is averaging 16.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Fellow rookies Jahlil Okafor and D'Angelo Russell will join him, along with sophomores such as Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker, Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel and Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine, the reigning Slam Dunk champion.
New York Knicks rookie big man Kristaps Porzingis will headline the World squad. Porzingis is averaging 14 points, 7.8 rebounds and two blocks per game for the resurgent Knicks. Sophomore Timberwolves wing Andrew Wiggins and Denver Nuggets rookie Emmanuel Mudiay are the other World headliners.
Several American youngsters were snubbed from the game on account of the format, including Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Los Angeles Lakers big man Julius Randle. Cult hero Boban Marjanovic of the San Antonio Spurs also missed the cut.
Here are the teams:
USA TEAM
Jordan Clarkson, G, Lakers
Rodney Hood, G, Jazz
Zach LaVine, G, Timberwolves
Nerlens Noel, F, 76ers
Jahlil Okafor, C, 76ers
Jabari Parker, F, Bucks
Elfrid Payton, G, Magic
D’Angelo Russell, G, Lakers
Marcus Smart, G, Celtics
Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Timberwolves
WORLD TEAM
Bojan Bogdanovic, F, Nets
Clint Capela, C, Rockets
Mario Hezonja, G, Magic
Nikola Jokic, C, Nuggets
Nikola Mirotic, F, Bulls
Emmanuel Mudiay, G, Nuggets
Raul Neto, G, Jazz
Kristaps Porzingis, F, Knicks
Dwight Powell, F, Mavericks
Andrew Wiggins, G, Timberwolves
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