The NBA broke news yesterday regarding the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge. The annual game, which occurs during NBA All-Star Weekend and showcases the top first and second year players in the league, will be changing formats this year.
According to the release, this year’s game will pit 10 of the best American first and second year players against 10 of the best international players. Given the constantly growing NBA market overseas, it’s a pretty intriguing idea from Adam Silver and the gang.
Here is a quote from NBA.com describing the new format and selection process:
"The league’s assistant coaches will select 10 U.S. players and 10 international players for the game, with one ballot for each of the NBA’s 30 teams. Both 10-man rosters will include four guards, four frontcourt players and two players regardless of position. Each team will also feature a minimum of three first-year players and three second-year players among its 10 spots."
With the new format, I would be very surprised if Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic is not selected to suit up for the international squad. The young man from Bosnia has been one of the more surprising rookie prospects this year, and he has certainly put up the numbers to merit a selection.
Nurkic appears to be a key building block for the Nuggets franchise moving forward. Participating in NBA All-Star Weekend can do wonders for a young player’s psyche and development, so if Nurkic is indeed one of the players selected it should be seen as a huge bright spot on an otherwise disappointing Nuggets season.
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