Damian Lillard: The NBA's Social Media Experiment

                                                    Image via Addidas 

Being excluded from certain games and events happens to everyone. Being overlooked by major college programs happens to a few. Being clutch, having a winning record, getting your name in MVP talk, and having the best season of your professional career in the same year only happens to less than one percent of the population. But being snubbed from Team USA and the NBA All-Star game, coupled with the aforementioned statements, only happens to the one and only Mr. Damian Lillard. 

Lillard being omitted from Team USA isn't a huge deal, because he wasn't the only one not chosen to get on the plane to Spain. He was part of the final cuts, along with Kyle Korver, Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons. What hurt him the most was being a final cut from a team you don't really envision being apart of as a youngster, which would obviously be a hard blow, but Lillard used another obstacle as motivation for this upcoming season with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Being cut from Team USA  fueled Lillard, because through the first half of the 2014-15 NBA season, he is having the best year of his young career. The third-year guard currently has averages of 21.6 points (career-high), 4.7 rebounds (career-high), 6.3 assists and 1.5 steals (career-high). Lillard isn't putting up those stats on a bad team, as his Blazers are fourth in the Western Conference with a 35-17 record. It also doesn't hurt that Lillard has played in 216 consecutive games since being drafted, which means he has yet to miss a game. Great stats, successful team, and tremendous health, along with being a great citizen of the NBA should equal an All-Star selection, right?

Lillard had to have all the confidence in the world, and had to wake up on January 29, 2015, as an optimist; the Portland sun was shining and he was positive. As time went by that day, and we got closer and closer to the official announcements of the All Star Teams reserves, Marc Stein of ESPN, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports began to unveil the fortunate players to be selected to the mid-season classic. Many names were unveiled, except Lillard, and that was a head scratcher. 

Knowing the basketball side of twitter, they most likely patrolled the Internet like Batman does Gotham City, in order to find any credible sources to confirm that Lillard was heading to New York: none were found. What left hope for social media was that Stein and Wojnarowski didn't release the  roster in its entirety, which also left optimism for Lillard himself.

The only person left to truly confirm or deny Lillard's All-Star spot was Ernie Johnson of TNT's "Inside The NBA." There was a legion of pressure and expectation for Johnson so say his name, as all eyes were on him like he was 2Pac. As EJ went through the names, seven players were named, and zero of them were Lillard.

Akin to how Kanye West believed Beyoncé was snubbed from winning Album of the Year at the 57th Grammy Awards by Beck, the basketball community highly believed Lillard was snubbed from an All-Star selection. Lillard, being the Oakland native he is, took the snub as being "disrespectful", and felt like the NBA took his kindness for his weakness; it was like the league was talking to trash him and he was FourFiveSeconds from wildin'. But what we all know by now, is that Lillard take things like this personal, and it will only ramp up his motivation: from his small high school, to playing at a mid-major program in Weber State.

Lillard should have made it outright over possibly Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, but mainly Kevin Durant. Yea, I understand he's the reigning MVP of the NBA, and sports entertainment is at its in finest with his lanky way of scoring the basketball. But Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder team is out of the playoff race, and Durant has missed more games than played, and should not been selected over Lillard. 

The Internet exploded with Lillard not being named an All-Star. You know what this reminded me of? When WWE fans became irate due to superstar Daniel Bryan not winning the 2015 Royal Rumble thus failing to go on to headline the biggest event in wrestling: Wrestle Mania. Both Lillard and Bryan share the same mold, as they are small guys with great talents in their professions, but have been overlooked most of their lives. Both guys are fan favorites, and when both men were snubbed from the biggest event in their sport, the Internet spoke up.

The message was clearly sent and Lillard was expected to become an injury replacement for Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, but he was snubbed again for DeMarcus Cousins. But Justice was served, as Lillard became Plan C for the NBA, as he was named an injury replacement for Clippers forward Blake Griffin.

Obviously with Lillard, his peers and supporters speaking out, it became evident that he was a snub and needed to be in the game. What the NBA learned from this, is that they may need to extend the All-Star game roster, but that's another story for another day.

                                                               Image via Addidas 

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Rose Leads Bulls to 115-106 Win vs. Portand

Chicago Bulls G Derrick Rose is on the way back to form.  He scored a season high 31 points (14-24 from the field) while leading Chicago to a strong game and a 115-106 victory Friday night at the United Center against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Bulls took a 59-51 half-time lead and survived a 25 point first half by Portland's F LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge had the highest point total at half-time of the young season. In the second half, the Bulls found their game, they passed well, and players shot well, particularly in the fourth quarter  The Bulls hit 50% of its shots from the floor and had a sizable free-throw advantage, converting 22 of 28 .

Blazers' guard Damian Lillard exploded for 35 points and in the fourth quarter he and Rose hit shot after shot. Aaron Brooks made some nice shots, prompting the ESPN announcer to say, "They are putting on a  floating convention."  Lillard, Rose, and Brooks made shots that looked like tear-drops.

Five Chicago Bulls players hit double figures: Aaron Brooks came off the bench to score 17 points. F Nikola Mirotic scored 15, 13 coming in the first-half.  Pau Gasol had 13 points and 12 boards, his 14th double-double of the season. F Taj Gibson scored 12 and grabbed 10 rebounds, a strong game, once again.  Jimmy Butler added added 11 points.  

This was one of the best games the Bulls played this season against a Western Conference club that surely will be in the playoffs.  The Trail Blazers were 10-0 versus Eastern Conference teams until tonight.  Chicago won it's fourth game at the United Center and now sports a 14-8 record.

Rose used his inside game well tonight and had his outside shot falling. "My teammates kept giving me the ball," Rose said.

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Damian Lillard: A Star on the Rise

Two years in, and the question already booms. Is young Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard the most clutch shooter in the NBA? In his first playoff appearance and sophomore season, Lillard has already delivered thrilling performances, dramatic shots, acrobatic finishes, and hilarious commercials(a well-deserved $100m deal with Adidas). Fresh off of perhaps the greatest shot in Trail Blazer history, we take a look at the young star's continuous rise into the game's elite. 

Lillard was born in Oakland, CA and spent most of his youth in the Bay Area. While not heavily recruited in high school, he spent four years at Weber State University and finished as the #2 scorer in school history and was selected with the sixth overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA Draft. Coming to a sports city known for major injury disappointments(Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Sam Bowie, etc.), expectations were not too high but it did not matter to Lillard. Although unable to lead Portland to the 2013 playoffs, Lillard delivered hope, being named the unanimous Rookie of the Year and to the All-Rookie First Team. He finished the season with averages of 19.0 points, 6.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds on 43% shooting, 37% from deep. 

Portland came out swinging to start the 2013-14 season, racing out to the best record in the west. The continued improvement of not only Lillard but teammates LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, and Wes Matthews(as well as the addition of big man Robin Lopez) had Portland as many analysts' early season favorite to come out of the difficult western conference. While they slowed down just a bit in the middle of the grinding 82 game campaign that is the NBA regular season, Lillard again delivered some fabulous performances, as well as back-to-back game winning jumpers against Detroit and Cleveland (both on the road). Lillard was named an All Star for the first time in his career and is the only player in NBA history to compete in all 6 events at All Star weekend, taking home the Skills Challenge crown for the second straight year. He finished his marvelous sophomore season with averages of 20.7 points, 5.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and shot career highs from the three-point line (39%) and free throw line (87%). Little did we know, he'd save his best for what was yet to come. 

Portland entered the 2014 playoffs with a record of 54-28, good enough for the 5th seed in the west. Going up against a Houston Rockets team with stars like James Harden and Dwight Howard, the Blazers were considered the underdog heading into the series. Game 1 was a coming-out party for not only young Lillard (31 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) but for teammate LaMarcus Aldridge (46 points, 18 rebounds) as well. Down 3 with under 30 ticks to go, Lillard calmly rose up and buried a three pointer to tie the game, and Portland would go on to win in OT. The Blazers would go on to take 3-1 series lead. After Houston took Game 5 at home, the Blazers were heading back to the Moda Center with a 3-2 series lead and a perfect chance to close out the talented Rockets on their home court. 

After five games of sweaty palms and racing hearts, Portland fans got what they have been waiting 14 long years for. With 0.9 left on the clock, Portland was trailing by two. The crowd was quiet, nervous. The Rockets had played a marvelous game and it looked as if they were taking it back home for a decisive Game 7. What happened next will go down in NBA playoff history forever and something I will not soon forget. Lillard raced over the top of the arc from the right-wing and in one smooth, fluid motion, released the shot with time left on the clock. Bottom. Nothing but net. The Moda Center exploded in cheers, Lillard's teammates bear hugged him all the way back to the Portland bench. The series was over, and the Trail Blazers became the second team to advance to the conference semifinals. 

Lillard's point totals in the series were phenomenal: 31, 18, 30, 23, 26, 25. He was the unprecedented leader on the floor down the stretch, and is now drawing many comparisons to former Blazer Brandon Roy, who also had a knack for coming up huge when it mattered most. Like him or not, Damian Lillard has proven that he belongs in the conversation with the elite point guards in this game and after what we've all witnessed so far it will be very surprising if he does end up without a ring. Portland will move on to play San Antonio in round 2 (teams split the season series 2-2). Game 1 will be Tuesday, May 6th at 9:30 PM ET on TNT.

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Nets Lose by Nearly 50 in Portland

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 26th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Portland Trail Blazers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 80 Trail Blazers 124

The Brooklyn Nets, who were looking to get within one game of the .500 mark with a win on Wednesday night, but were dominated by the Portland Trail Blazers without LaMarcus Aldridge. The loss moves the Nets to (26-29) on the season, and they are now five games behind the Toronto Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

Player of the Game: Deron Williams

On a night when the Nets almost lost by 50 points there are basically no positives, but Deron Williams did look healthy yet, as the bounce in his step is defiantly there, and he was looking very good driving to the basket. Williams played 24 minutes, and scored a team-high 12 points on four for 10 shooting to go along with three assists, three steals, and one block.

Negatives:

The Nets bench figured to have a pretty sizeable advantage against the Blazers, but in the blowout loss Brooklyn’s bench was destroyed by Portland’s. Mo Williams led the scoring barrage for the Blazers bench, as he scored a game-high 21 points off the bench, with seven assists, six rebounds, and one steal in 27 minutes. Williams however wasn’t the only 20-point scorer off the bench for Portland, as Will Barton exploded for 20 points on eight for 13 shooting with 11 rebounds and four assists. Barton had the highest +/- in the game going +39. C.J. McCollum added 11 points and Victor Claver added 13, as Portland had four players off the bench finishing in double figures.

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For the second straight game the Nets main gun off the bench Andray Blatche really struggled. Blatche went one for six from the field, scoring just three points, and in his last two games is shooting just three for 16 from the field. Marcus Thornton picked a bad game to makes his Nets debut, as off the bench he had a poor shooting performance from deep, shooting just one for six from three-point range, and finished shooting four for 11 overall with nine points.

The starting lineup for the Blazers played very well without their best player. Damian Lillard didn’t need to score 30+ points, but he had a nice game none the less, scoring 14 points on six for 11 shooting in 29 minutes. Nicholas Batum was the leading scorer for the Blazers starting five, as he scored 19 points on six for 12 shooting with six rebounds, and six assists in 29 minutes.

Next up for the Nets will be the second half of their back to back in Denver against the Nuggets on Thursday, as they will look to improve on their (3-10) record on the second part of a back to back.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trail Blazers February 26th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

February 26^th, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Portland Trail Blazers

The Brooklyn Nets will be continuing their circus road-trip on Wednesday night in Portland against the Trail Blazers. The Nets are now (26-28) on the season, as they are getting close to the .500 mark, but with the Raptors winning seven of their last 10 games, it leaves the Nets 4.5 games behind them in the Atlantic Division.

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- Down A Star

On Wednesday night the Trail Blazers will yet again be without their All-Star Power Forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who has missed the last four games with a groin strain. In the four games without Aldridge in this stretch the Blazers are still playing well going 3-1 with their only loss coming against the San Antonio Spurs. The Blazers are obviously missing Aldridge, who has emereged as one of the best if not the best Power Forward in the NBA this season, as he is averaging 23.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and one block per game.

- Don’t Sleep on Lillard

Aldridge wasn’t the only Blazer to be selected to the All-Star Game however, as with the absence of Aldridge, Damian Lillard has picked up his already good scoring season in the last four games. This season the All-Star Lillard has averaged 21.4 points per game, as last season's Rookie Of The Year has clearly avoided any sort of sophomore slump. In the past four games without his partner in crime Aldridge, Lillard is averaging 30.5 points per game in those games. It will be a great match-up to watch a seemingly healthy Deron Williams against Lillard.

- Second Half Groove

Since the All-Star, like last season Williams seems healthy for the Nets, and has a bounce to his step, which just wasn’t their for the first half of the season. Against the Lakers on Sunday, it was the best game from Williams this season, as he scored a season-high 30 points. Lillard will be a lot more to handle for Williams than anyone the Lakers had to offer, but a healthy Williams is a huge difference maker for Brooklyn as they look to get to within one game of .500

- Bench Advantage

The Blazers bench is the one glaring weakness that the Nets should have a noticeable advantage in, as Brooklyn has one of the better bench units in the league, and it is expected to get better with Marcus Thornton liking making his debut Wednesday after dealing with food poisoning. Andray Blatche struggled against the Lakers, but has been great almost all season, and figures to have a bounce back game against the Blazers. The availability of Shaun Livingston may have an affect on the bench, as if Livingston cant play Jason Kidd maybe starting Andrei Kirilenko again.

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Knicks Topped By Blazers in Sloppy Game

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks suffered yet another tough home loss Wednesday night, falling to the Blazers 94-90. Execution for both teams was sloppy throughout the night but the Blazers were able to get it together a little more than the Knicks when it counted. During pre-game Wally Szczerbiak said it was going to be a game of shot takers and whoever was more of the makers would come out on top. That is exactly what happened as the Blazers made eight three pointers compared to four for the Knicks, a 12 point difference that ultimately proved to be the difference. What makes it worse is the Blazers were clearly not on top of their game but the Knicks were still unable to take advantage. There is no use for morale victories for this Knicks team, but hopefully they can take some of the positives from the game tonight and put them towards their next game Friday night against the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden.

Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game: Knicks Bench

The Knicks bench was outstanding tonight and is as responsible as anyone for the Knicks being in the game tonight. Jeremy Tyler, Amar’e Stoudemire, Tim Hardaway Jr. and J.R. Smith all gave the Knicks a spark and played well tonight. In only 11 minutes Tyler was extremely active, getting second possessions for the Knicks on the offensive end and playing with intensity. Stoudemire was on fire offensively, scoring 15 points in his 22 minutes and backing up his talk after practice Tuesday about warranting more playing time. He also grabbed seven rebounds. Hardaway Jr. and Smith were not knocking down their perimeter shots efficiently but they were able to score 12 and 18 points respectively and help in other areas; Hardaway Jr. grabbed five rebounds and Smith had three rebounds and six assists when given the chance to run the offense. They outscored the Blazers bench 50-20 on the night.

Matchup of the Game Recap:

Shockingly Damian Lillard did not go off on Raymond Felton like expected. Lillard, like his Blazers teammates and virtually everyone else in the game, struggled from the field going 4-12. Felton wasn’t much better going 2-6. They even had similar other stats, as Lillard had five rebounds and four assists while Felton had four rebounds and three assists. The big difference was the playing time, as Lillard was on the court in crunch time leading his team while Felton was stapled to the bench, not appearing in the fourth quarter. Lillard played 38 minutes while Felton garnered only 23.

-Positives

The disparity in rebounding was pointed out in pre-game but the Knicks were able to handle themselves well on the boards. The Blazers won the rebounding battle, but it was close as the finally tally was 49-48. It was a team effort for the Knicks, as five players, Tyson Chandler, Carmelo Anthony, Stoudemire, Pablo Prigioni and Hardaway Jr. all grabbed at least five rebounds.

Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

The Blazers were off their game tonight in part because of the Knicks defense. The Blazers were held to 38 percent shooting on the night as their All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Lillard struggled from the field, shooting a combined 9-29. Aldridge had the back-breaking dagger shot in the final two minutes though, as his turnaround jumper over Chandler put the Blazers ahead for good.

Mike Woodson is on the hot seat and did make some questionable decisions tonight but he should be applauded for changing things up a little bit. He sat starting point guard Felton for the whole fourth quarter, deciding instead to ride the hot hand in Prigioni and Smith running the offense. It was out of character for Woodson to change things up so drastically but it was the right move tonight.

-Negatives

The Knicks offense was not in sync tonight. The Blazers have a very forgiving defense, ranking 27^th in points allowed per game. The Knicks were not able to take advantage though, shooting only 40 percent in the game and an unsightly 19 percent from the three point line. It was the difference in the game as the Blazers were near their three point percentage average but the Knicks were well below it. Also the foul line disparity hurt again, as the Blazers went 26-33 and the Knicks went 14-20.

Iman Shumpert gave the Knicks nothing once again in the scoring department. It is beyond trade rumors now as Shumpert’s struggles have spanned virtually all season outside of the Texas Trip. He went 0-5 tonight and makes things extremely difficult for the Knicks as they already have a player in the starting lineup in Prigioni who doesn’t look to score. Shumpert needs to figure things out as the guard play once again tonight let the Knicks down.

Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

Anthony came up short tonight for the Knicks. When they needed him most he was unable to come through as he went scoreless in the fourth quarter. Anthony finished the game 11-28 from the field, struggling from the perimeter as he went 1-6 from threes and only got to the foul line for three attempts, making all of them. On the contrary, Aldridge struggled from the field all night but came up huge for the Blazers when they needed him most to end a Knicks run or down the stretch. Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum made life difficult for Anthony as the game wore on.

For the praise Woodson deserves for benching Felton, there are still come questions that should be raised. Why was Stoudemire taken out when he was clearly the hot hand offensively for the Knicks? It would be nice to see Woodson be consistent in the decisions that he makes, playing all the hot hands and players keeping the Knicks in the game instead of reverting back to old lineups. It is not good when it is February and Woodson still does not know game in and game out who he can use for end of game situations. The hot seat is as hot as it has been during his tenure as Knicks coach and there are rumblings that he will not make it past the All-Star break.

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W2W4: Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks; February 5th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks

Pre-Game News and Notes

Bruce Ely/The Oregonian

The Knicks and Trail Blazers will go up against each other for the second time this season tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks will be looking to exact some revenge on the Blazers, who beat the Knicks earlier in the season 102-91 at the Rose Garden in Portland. The Knicks are currently riding a two game losing streak and could use a win in the worst of ways. With things starting to look bleaker and bleaker for Head Coach Mike Woodson after yet another player called him out this past week changes could be on the horizon for the Knicks. If Woodson wants to save his job putting forth the necessary changes tonight to get a victory over a strong Blazers team would be a good start. Here are some things keys to the game tonight between the Knicks and Blazers.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks are relatively healthy right now, something that hasn’t happened much this season. But they will still be without a key piece tonight in Kenyon Martin. Martin returned from his ankle injury Saturday but will not be able to get on the court tonight against the Blazers. Martin hasn’t stayed healthy all season and the soreness that keeps popping up will continue to put him in suits on the bench.

Beno Udrih has already missed five straight games with what the Knicks are calling an ‘illness’ and his status has not been updated since. It is likely that he will miss a sixth consecutive game but it is looking more and more like a coach’s decision than an illness.

The Blazers have no reported player injuries and will have their full allotment of players to use Wednesday night.

-Woody’s Last Stand?

With Amar’e Stoudemire joining the list of players to call out Woodson about how he makes decisions coaching, this may be the last chance Woodson has to save his job. Stoudemire has voiced his displeasure with how he is being used recently, saying its Woodson, not doctors, that are keeping him from seeing the court. Stoudemire is currently playing a career-low in minutes per game at 18.9 aside from his injury riddled 2005-2006 campaign when he got in only three games. Stoudemire says he feels great and wants more minutes. It is up to Woodson if he feels Stoudemire can help this team out; at this point Woodson needs to break his character and start using the players that produce results not that are paid the most.

If the Knicks lose tonight to the Blazers it would give them a three-game losing streak following a four-game winning streak. That kind of inconsistent consistency is something that gets a coach canned. With a lose tonight look for the hot seat to get even warmer for Woodson, if that is even possible.

-Perimeter Defense

The Knicks were torched Monday night by an underwhelming group of perimeter players the Bucks employ; if they come out with the same defensive intensity against this group the Blazers have the game will be over before halftime. The Blazers are the highest scoring team in the NBA, which could spell trouble for the ever-giving Knicks defense. The Knicks should make it a priority to lock down the three-point line where Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum can hurt them.

Reigning Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard will also cause a problem for the Knicks.  Raymond Felton has to put on a good performance on both ends of the court, more so on the defensive end. Throughout the season Felton has been a revolving door at the point of attack for opposing teams and he has done little to act as resistance. Teams are game planning to attack Felton because they know that is the weakest part of the Knicks defense and they are exploiting it. Felton needs to show improvement starting tonight or it will be a long night at Madison Square Garden.

-Battle on the Boards

The Blazers are not only the best scoring team in the NBA, they happen to be the best rebounding one as well. The Blazers average 46.4 rebounds per game, compared to only 40.5 for the Knicks. It will be imperative for the Knicks to gang rebound tonight to try and control the paint as much as they can. Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony will have their hands full throughout the night trying to slow down All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge and Robin Lopez but we have seen each of them capable of dominating the rebounding department. It would be nice to see J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert get in on the rebounding action; both rebound well for guards and will help offset the strong all-around games Matthews and Batum are capable of putting together.

Matchup of the Game: Raymond Felton vs. Damian Lillard

Another game, another day the Knicks are outclassed at the point guard position. The Knicks have struggled mightily all season because of poor point guard play and Felton being exposed nightly as a poor defensive player. Tonight Felton will once again have his hands full as Lillard has been solid against the Knicks in his short career, averaging 23.3 points on 50.9 percent shooting.

Felton and the Knicks may be catching Lillard and the Blazers at a good time though. The Blazers have lost five of eight, averaging 100 points per game and shooting 28.8 from the three point line, well below their season average of 38.2 percent. The Blazers are playing better than anyone expected them to be playing and could be coming back down to earth or could just be hitting a lull in a long season. Whatever the reason may be the Knicks need to take advantage and get back on track against a team in a little bit of a tail slide.

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Tim Hardaway Jr. Named to 2014 BBVA Compass Rising Stars Pool

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NBA All-Star weekend brings out stars and celebrities from all different genres. From the 3-point contest to Slam Dunk competition, there are names to be made on numerous different platforms for NBA players. One aspect of All-Star weekend that is overlooked is the BBVA Compass Rising Star Challenge.

The Rising Star Challenge pits NBA rookies and second year players in a game to showcase the best youngsters in the NBA. The game used to pit the Rookies and Sophomores against each other, but the newest format places players from both years in a pool as TNT personalities will instead draft teams to play against each other. It is a glorified pick-up game but one that up-and-coming NBA players could make a name for themselves in as it is the only time younger players get a chance to show off their talents.

This season the New York Knicks will be represented in the game once again by Tim Hardaway Jr. For a team that has drafted as poorly and held onto younger players as infrequently as the Knicks, they have been well represented in the past couple of seasons. In 2012 Jeremy Lin and Landry Fields both partook for the Knicks, Fields a multiple time participant as he was also named to the team as a rookie in 2011. Danilo Gallinari preceded them in 2010, Wilson Chandler in 2009, David Lee in 2007 and both Channing Frye and Nate Robinson participated in 2006.

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Hardaway Jr. is well deserving of a place in the player pool this season, averaging 8.6 points on 45.9 percent shooting from the field, 40.9 percent from behind the three point line and 82.5 from the foul line. Amongst qualifying rookies, Hardaway Jr. ranks fourth in scoring, second in shooting percentage, second in three point shooting percentage and fourth in free throw percentage. Hardaway Jr., who was the 24^th overall pick in the 2013 Draft, looks to have been a steal for the Knicks and someone worth keeping onto for the long haul.

Hardaway Jr. will be joined by 17 other players for the Rising Stars Challenge; Steven Adams, Rookie, Oklahoma City Thunder; Pero Antic, Rookie, Atlanta Hawks; Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rookie, Milwaukee Bucks; Harrison Barnes, Sophomore, Golden State Warriors; Bradley Beal, Sophomore, Washington Wizards; Trey Burke, Rookie, Utah Jazz; Michael Carter-Williams, Rookie, Philadelphia 76ers; Anthony Davis, Sophomore, New Orleans Pelicans; Andre Drummond, Sophomore, Detroit Pistons; Terrence Jones, Sophomore, Houston Rockets; Damian Lillard, Sophomore, Portland Trail Blazers; Victor Oladipo, Rookie, Orlando Magic; Kelly Olynyk, Rookie, Boston Celtics; Mason Plumlee, Rookie, Brooklyn Nets; Jared Sullinger, Sophomore, Boston Celtics; Jonas Valanciunas, Sophomore, Toronto Raptors; Dion Waiters, Sophomore, Cleveland Cavaliers.

Taking a closer look at the list you will be able to reinforce what many people were saying about the 2013 NBA Draft Class being one of the weakest ones ever. Notice that nine lottery picks, Anthony Bennett, Otto Porter, Cody Zeller, Alex Len, Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, C.J. McCollum and Shabazz Muhammad are all absent from the pool.

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