Can Any New York Knick Make the Rising Stars Challenge?
By William Lee
The NBA All-Star 2015 games are coming to New York, and it is a given that Carmelo Anthony will represent the New York Knicks in the 64th exhibition basketball game of the best and brightest.
With that said, New York currently holds a record of 5-35, league worst, and a Franchise worst start so far. A lot of young talents are now given the opportunity to display their skills due to injuries and trade. Can any of the young Knicks make the Rising Stars Challenge?
New York has a couple of rookies in Cleanthony Early, and Langston Galloway. Early just recently in the New Year returned from his knee surgery he had earlier in the season, playing a grand total of only 13 games for the year. Early hasn’t been all too impressive even in the games he has played, so that is an easy no to the Rising Stars Challenge. Galloway is just happy to be in the NBA, debuting on January 7th, so that’s another easy no.
For the sophomores that are on the Knicks, this question gets a little bit more interesting. New York has a couple of sophomores in Shane Larkin, and Tim Hardaway Jr. Larkin was acquired in the trade that saw the Knicks trade away Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to the Mavericks for him, Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert.
More from Knicks News
- Former New York Knicks center gets real about 2013 playoff shortcomings
- When is the deadline for the Knicks to extend Immanuel Quickley?
- How to watch New York Knicks players compete for bronze at World Cup
- 3 Reasons Tom Thibodeau can’t ignore Miles McBride in 2023-24
- Knicks fans get super anticlimactic ending to 2023 FIBA World Cup
Larkin has shown signs of being a guard that can come into the game and change the pace of the game. I would say the best case scenario for Larkin is if he ended up in a similar role that J.J Barea was in when the Mavericks won the title in 2011, a spark off the bench forcing an up tempo while he handled the point guard duties. Averaging only 6 points and 2.6 assist per game, there are too many good second year players for him to make the cut into the game.
Tim Hardaway Jr. on the other hand is another matter though, he was already a part of the All Star Festivities as a Rookie. Hardaway Jr. had himself a stellar game, scoring 36 points in the exhibition contest, displaying his range from downtown with seven made three-point field goals.
Last year nine rookies and nine sophomores were selected to be part of the event, given that the same format applies this year (you never know…the NBA keep trying to revitalize this event), it could be effy if Hardaway Jr. makes the selectin this time around. Including Hardaway Jr., last year the rookies consisted of Michael Carter-Williams, Trey Burke, Mason Plumlee, Victor Oladipo, Steven Adams, Kelly Olynyk, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Pero Antic.
Antic was a replacement player last year, so he is definitely out, that is one spot available. Of all the guards on the list from last year’s selection, Hardaway Jr. might be the only guard that isn’t a lock to make it back in 2015. Possible threats to him making the roster are Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ben McLemore, and Shabazz Muhammad. Caldwell-Pope shoots the same low percentage as Hardaway Jr. but has a couple more rebounds and points per game. McLemore has the same argument against Hardaway Jr. as well, but with a 46.8% field goal to his advantage.
Live Feed
Sir Charles In Charge
Muhammad is just balling out, in the last 30 days, his averages are 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2 assist per game in that time span. I would say Muhammad is the biggest threat to take Hardaway Jr.’s spot at this time. Another strike against Hardaway Jr. is that in he has not taken advantage of his increased role on the team with the Knick’s roster being depleted due to injuries and trades. In the last two weeks, his averages are pretty much consistent with his season average. In fact with the increased scoring burden, he is scoring slightly less than his season average, a dip of -.5 points. What is most concerning is his field goal percentage has dropped further, now being featured higher on the scoring option pecking order.
As for the bigs in the 2013 Draft Class, you can give an argument that the following three should be a definite lock to make the roster, Nerlens Noel, Rudy Gobert, and Gorgui Dieng. No matter whom you replace, you can just take these bigs and replace them with any three player from last year, and no one would bat an eyelash. So you can argue that maybe they add an extra big, and even take out Hardaway Jr. out that way.
The only reason I can logically think of, that Tim Hardaway Jr. would make the 21st edition of the Rising Stars Challenge is that the NBA needs a New York ambassador since the games are being held in New York. And Hardaway Jr. would be the only young Knicks player to be that representative since it is being held in New York. Other then this reason, there are far too many deserving players to make the team instead.
The funniest thing is that there is a hole in this theory as well, since the Rising Stars Challenge will be held in Brooklyn, and the Net’s have an Olympian in Mason Plumlee is sure to make the roster. So I retract everything I just said, no Knicks will make it to the Rising Stars Challenge.