NBA Rising Stars Challenge 2017 roster: Karl-Anthony Towns leads sophomore-heavy Team USA

It will be Team USA vs. Team World once again for the Rising Stars Challenge during this NBA All-Star Weekend. The league selected the best rookies and sophomores for the team, highlighting the rising stars who are poised to take over the league in the coming years.

Karl-Anthony Towns is the obvious star, as the 21-year-old leads the Timberwolves in scoring this season and has a range of skills completely foreign to most 7-footers we’ve seen in the NBA. Beyond him, Myles Turner fits a similar description, while Phoenix’s Devin Booker is coming on strong and should be one of the team’s starting guards.

Unfortunately, the roster does highlight that the drafts over the past two seasons have been on the weaker side for Americans. No player outside of the 2015 NBA lottery makes either Team USA or Team World this year, while there’s only two 2016 lottery picks (out of six) who join the Rising Stars Game this year. Fortunately, draft classes have a way of evening themselves out — the 2017 one is expected to be loaded both at the top and throughout the first round.

The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge will take place at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns, G: Booker is a lone bright spot in Phoenix this season, making the jump from a solid rookie to a leading scorer for the Suns as a sophomore. There are still areas of Booker’s game where he can improve, but what matters right now is that he’s averaging 21 points relatively efficiently and dishing out three assists per game, too. Phoenix can trust that he’ll be a huge part of their future, whatever that is.

Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee Bucks, G: If you had to predict these Rising Stars rosters before the season, Brogdon would by far be the most surprising name listed here. But there’s zero doubt he deserves it, emerging from an early second-round pick to an athletic all-around guard who even recorded a triple-double earlier this year. So far, he’s the steal of the 2017 NBA draft.

Marquese Chriss, Phoenix Suns, F: Chriss was one of Phoenix’s two lottery picks last draft, and so far, he’s outplaying Dragan Bender (selected fourth overall), who was not selected to represent Team World and recently had season-ending surgery. He’s had some problems with inconsistency and foul trouble this year, but overall, Chriss looks as athletic as he was touted and certainly has the potential to become a good NBA player if he keeps improving.

Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers, G/F: Last year’s No. 2 overall pick hasn’t exactly taken the NBA by storm, but you usually see Ingram’s tantalizing promise at least once a game. He’s 19 years old and stands 6’9 with handles like a guard and a jump shot that’s silky smooth. The product hasn’t translated to the floor yet — he’s shooting under 37 percent this year while averaging eight points and four rebounds — but Los Angeles is betting that Ingram will be a monster in a couple years. Honestly, it’s not a bad bet at all.

Frank Kaminsky, Charlotte Hornets, F: Kaminsky plays a valuable backup role in Charlotte, scoring nearly 11 points while averaging 4.5 rebounds and putting up more than four threes per game. He unfortunately hasn’t taken the step up the team hoped, though, with his field goal and three-point percentage both falling. Still, his three-point shot could still come around if given some more time.

Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers, C: Philadelphia has needed to trade Okafor ever since Joel Embiid came back this season. Between him, Okafor and Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia simply can’t fit three players who all work best as true centers. It’s entirely possible he’s played his last game for the 76ers.

D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers, G: It’s safe to say Russell had a weird rookie year, between the Snapchat fiasco and the normal Lakers drama that comes with all that. He’s improving as a point guard this year, even if his scoring has taken a bit of a hit. There’s no reason to think the 20-year-old can’t be one of the league’s best for the next dozen years, though, as long as he makes a jump.

Jonathon Simmons, San Antonio Spurs, G: Simmons has one of the smallest roles among the Team USA participants, but it’s an important one for the Spurs, who are once again dominating the Western Conference behind Golden State. Simmons is an energy player off the bench for San Antonio, going from semipro just a few years ago to dominating the Warriors during the first game of the year.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, C: Towns is the heir apparent of the league, taking a leap forward as a sophomore even if the Timberwolves aren’t quite playoff contenders just yet. He’s an Anthony Davis-like giant who can do it all, and truthfully, Towns might have the potential to do even more than Davis. Either way, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Towns doesn’t dominate the NBA for the next decade (knocking on wood that he suffers no major injuries). He’ll fit in right at home in this game.

Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers, F/C: Turner is right behind Towns as a do-it-all big man with unlimited potential. Did you know: Only three players in league history have averaged more than 15 points and two blocks while shooting at least 35 percent behind the three-point arc (50 or more attempts). One is Serge Ibaka in 2013-14 while the other two are Turner and Joel Embiid this year.