History-making rookie Josh Giddey will have some Australian company at this month’s NBA All-Star weekend, with Dyson Daniels also selected for the revamped Rising Stars concept.
Key points:
- Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels will be on show in Cleveland later this month in the Rising Stars exhibition
- The event will feature four seven-player teams in a three-game tournament
- Giddey and Daniels join Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum and Ben Simmons as the only Australian players to feature in the Rising Stars
The youngest player to register a triple-double in NBA history, Giddey this week set an Oklahoma City Thunder record with his 11th double-double in a debut season.
He has played in 44 games (all starts) this season and is averaging 11.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 31.0 minutes per game. His assists lead all rookies.
Daniels has impressed in the G-League for the new Ignite team, created as an option for developing players in the NBA’s second-tier competition.
The 18-year-old from Bendigo has averaged 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 14 games to be one of four Ignite players chosen for the first time to compete in All-Star weekend.
A projected first-round draft pick in June, Daniels has reinforced his status after opting not to follow Giddey’s path and make his professional debut in Australia’s NBL.
The future Boomers pairing will be on show in Cleveland later this month in the Rising Stars exhibition — which will feature four seven-player teams in a three-game tournament.
They’ll play to 50-point targets in two semi-final games before a first-to-25 final, commemorating the NBA’s 75th anniversary season.
They will also compete in a Clutch Challenge between games, tasked with making baskets from locations of iconic NBA play-off shots.
Giddey and Daniels will join Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum and Ben Simmons as the only Australian players to feature in the Rising Stars.
AAP
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