Easily the early favorite for Rookie of the Year in the NBA, Sixers rookie guard Michael Carter-Williams has been selected to represent the Sixers in this year's Rising Stars Challenge at the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans. For the third straight year, the NBA's assistant coaches will draft the two teams. Previously, the game pitted rookies against sophomores. The Thunder's Scott Brooks and the Pacers' Frank Vogel will coach the two squads.
The annual Rising Stars game will take place on Valentine's Day at 9PM. Evan Turner, Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala have all been a part of this game for the Sixers, but Carter-Williams is likely the first of this Sixers group to head into it with a good chance at Rookie of the Year.
The selection of MCW into this contest was no surprise as the point guard, as of Wednesday, is averaging 17.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals, the best of all rookies in all categories. Carter-Williams has earned himself a share of recognition as well, nabbing the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Award for November. In his NBA debut, he recorded 22 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds, and 9 steals against the Heat. Fun fact: that isthe most steals ever made by a rookie on debut. He was named Player of the Week in his first week in the NBA.
With the Sixers rookie struggling with fatigue as of late, you have to wonder if this game will be a disadvantage for him in terms of rest, despite the honor.
“It’s a Mardi Gras. It’s a circus. It’s no time for rest,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said, “and Michael won’t experience any rest. I wish he could. But on the flipside, I’m proud of him and I want him to enjoy this experience.”
MCW will lead a rookie team that includes Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Atlanta Hawks’ Pero Antic, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Utah Jazz’s Trey Burke, the New York Knicks’ Tim Hardaway, Jr., the Orlando Magic’s Victor Oladipo, the Boston Celtics’ Kelly Olynyk, and the Brooklyn Nets’ Mason Plumlee.
The rookie squad will be up against Golden State Warriors’ Harrison Barnes, the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal, the Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond, the Houston Rockets’ Terrence Jones, the Boston Celtics’ Jared Sullinger, the Toronto Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Dion Waiters.
Selected 11th overall out of Syracuse by the Sixers in the draft this season, Carter-Williams
No Love for Tony Wroten
As a bench player for the Sixers, fans may not think of Tony Wroten as a selection for the Rising Stars game, but if you look at the stats, the Sixers sixth-man was snubbed.
Averaging 12.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, Wroten was shocked to hear that he was not a pick for the All-Star event.
“Check the stats, man. I definitely should’ve played in it,” Wroten said. “Nothing against the people who made it. Congrats to everybody who did make it. I definitely got snubbed, but it’s just motivation.”
Brandon Apter is a contributor to Sixerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @ApterShock
