For the first time in a long time, the Nuggets will have a player joining Nikola Jokic at All-Star weekend this year. Not since Jamal Murray’s second season in the NBA, when he was chosen to represent the Sophomores in the Rising Stars Challenge has a member of the Nuggets other than Jokic been a part of this weekend.
This year’s events will take place in Chase Center in San Francisco, the home of the Golden State Warriors. Joker, of course, was elected as the starting center for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game, but he was the only member of the team initially invited to participate.
Julian Strawther named to 2025 Castrol Rising Stars
But that will change as it was announced on Wednesday that second-year pro, Julian Strawhter will replace the injured Scoot Henderson in the Rising Stars event. Strawther got hurt at a bad time during his rookie season, but he has been a key contributor for Denver this season.
Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther will replace injured Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson in the 2025 Castrol Rising Stars.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 12, 2025
Strawther will take Henderson’s place on Team M, named for Naismith Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond, a Castrol Rising Stars honorary head coach.… pic.twitter.com/XUvLJ2dthM
His scoring and shooting off the bench have been massive for the Nuggets and he has become a critical part of the rotation for the current three seed in the West. On the season, Strawther is averaging just under 10 points per game and shooting 36% from three-point range on 4.4 attempts per game.
Strawther is making a big impact and he’s doing it on a team that is in a position to contend on a nightly basis. One of the biggest weaknesses the Nuggets have is their lack of three-point shooting and Strawther has done as much as anyone to help with that issue.
Strawther to play for Mitch Richmond team
Strawther will replace Henderson and join the team coached by Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond. The Rising Stars event will take place this Friday night at 7 PM MT, live on TNT. With this year’s new format, the team that wins the Rising Stars will get to play in the actual All-Star Game on Sunday night in the new four-team format.
It’s funny to think that now there’s actually a chance that Strawther and his teammates could advance and he could find himself competing against his All-Star teammate Jokic on one of the world’s grandest stages.
It’s a well-deserved honor for Strawther and it’s a shame it had to come as an injury replacement. Julian has a lot of things to still work on with his game, especially on the defensive end, but it’s great to see him get the proper recognition for the strides he has made to become a role player in the NBA at such a young age.