Three Thunder Players Selected For NBA's Rising Stars Challenge
Oklahoma City has relied heavily on youth talent over the course of its rebuild. The young players have turned a corner and helped develop the Thunder into a legitimate contender. OKC is still extremely young as a roster, but currently sits at third in the Western Conference and will almost certainly enter the All-Star break with home-court playoff advantage on the horizon.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was already announced as an All-Star starter, but now a handful of his teammates will be headed to Indianapolis too.
Second-year wing Jalen Williams, along with rookies Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace have been selected for the 2024 Rising Stars Challenge and will compete in the showcase. It will be a great experience on All-Star weekend, and Oklahoma City will be well represented.
For Williams, this will be his second appearance in the Rising Stars game. The sophomore is having a massive season for the Thunder and has been a big reason for the team's jump. He's averaging 18.7 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds on 53.9% from the floor and 45% from 3-point range.
Williams has taken his new role in stride and is looking like the perfect sidekick for Gilgeous-Alexander.
Holmgren, who suffered a season-long foot injury last year, will be making his first appearance in the Rising Stars game as a rookie. His addition to Oklahoma City's frontcourt has been the missing piece to the puzzle. He's averaging 16.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 53.3% shooting and 37.4% from long range. His defense has been terrific too, averaging 2.6 blocks.
The Thunder traded up to select Wallace in the 2023 NBA Draft and it has paid off. The Kentucky product is playing heavy minutes off the bench and has been a key cog in OKC's second unit. Wallace is averaging 6.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 51.5% shooting and 42.3% from 3-point range.
It's rare for young players to impact winning so much and play heavy minutes on a top team in the NBA. That's exactly what these three are doing, though, and now they have been rewarded for their rock-solid play.
The Rising Stars game will take place on Friday, February 16.
Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
