The 2016 Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend in Toronto will have some Canadian flavor, as Andrew Wiggins and Dwight Powell are set to suit up for the World Team in Friday night’s event.
The NBA announced the rosters for the U.S. and World teams Wednesday, pitting 20 of the league’s most exciting rookies and sophomores against each other. Aside from the Celebrity Game, which tips off at 7 p.m. and still erroneously excludes J.E. Skeets, the Rising Stars game is the first big event of the weekend. It tips off at 9 p.m. at the Air Canada Centre (see a full schedule of events here).
Here are the full rosters:
That’s a really fun group, and while the Kristaps Porzingis-Karl-Anthony Towns Rookie of the Year battle may grab center stage, keep an eye out for Mario Swag God Hezonja, my pick for MVP in the game. Conspicuous by their absence, of course, are Raptors’ youngsters Bruno Caboclo (Brazil), Lucas Nogueira (Brazil), Norman Powell (USA), and Delon Wright (USA), who don’t have the requisite playing time to warrant inclusion, even with the game in Toronto. Two Canadians representing in the game should still be fun, and it’s a nice nod to Powell, who has improved a great deal and is deserving of his inclusion.
The NBA changed the format from Rookies vs. Sophomores in 2012, allowing analysts to draft teams before again changing course last year, going with the nationalistic flavor.
