Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams to Represent Wolves in 2012 Rising Stars Challenge
Minnesota Timberwolves rookies Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams have been selected to play in the 2012 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Amway Center in Orlando.
The BBVA Rising Stars Challenge will introduce an exciting new format to a game that has historically featured NBA rookies facing off against sophomores. For the first time, rookies and sophomores will be mixed together on teams.
From TWolves.com
No longer called the rookie/sophomore game. Don't bother reading the whole release, it's just a giant sponsorship add for BBVA...
4 months ago
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I guess they decided having Pek pushing everyone down in the paint wouldn't sell TV ratings
Because He should absolutly be in this game. Or maybe they were afraid DMC might drop out if Pek got an invite.
Authentic frontier Gibberish
I was upset about the Pek oversight at first,
but when I look at the pool of players picked, I have a hard time making a case that any of them don’t belong. Pek belongs too, but someone had to be left out, I guess.
And now Pek has more time to polish the skulls he’s collected.
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 8, 2012 1:41 PM CST up reply actions
Pekovic has also only been playing like this for the past two weeks
As opposed to the past two months. And it’d be hard to justify having three players from one team.
+1
Pek has not had enough time to prove himself has one of the most improved. I feel bad for him, but at the same time I doubt he cares
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 8, 2012 3:32 PM CST up reply actions
as opposed to D Williams
who has been playing like crap for two months?
OK, not crap, but not better than Jon L(vowels)r.
Too hot to handle, too cold to hold
They're called the Ghostbusters and they're in control
Rookie vs Sophomore
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 8, 2012 5:12 PM CST up reply actions
I feel like you are way too objective about Pek.
Since you drive the bandwagon, I’m expecting much more illogical and wildly over-the-top declarations of Pek’s brilliance from now on. I don’t want to hear that you can make a case that Tiago Splitter deserves a spot over Pek. Pek is a Tiago Splitter, as in he’ll split Tiago in two if that dude ever messes with him.
Follow me on Twitter @timallenonline
by TimAllen on Feb 8, 2012 2:04 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
Oops. My bad.
Dammit! I am so angry right now! I want to round up the selection committee, trap them in portable toilets, and set them on fire! I want Pek to stomp on their heads! I want to use Tiago Splitter as a club with which to beat to death all of the other sophomore players—especially DeMarcus Cousins!
(Better? Heh.)
I'm going to brag. I drive the Nikola Pekovic fanwagon.
by Cynical Jason on Feb 8, 2012 2:57 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I don't watch enough of non-Twolves NBA to know about the other guys
but I know for sure he deserves to be in ahead of Williams.
"Pinch-bunters don't have a ton of value, even with the Twins"
by Steven Ellingson on Feb 8, 2012 2:09 PM CST up reply actions
They pick an equal number from each group
Pek’s chances weren’t influenced by Williams.
The good news is hopeful doesn't mean dumb. The bad news is cynical doesn't mean smart. -- Sarah Silverman
by pagingstanleyroberts on Feb 8, 2012 2:14 PM CST up reply actions
Mostly I suspect they didn't want Pek
hospitalizing their kids.
Also, I’m very sorry I clicked on this post’s heading as it took me to that site where five gajillion little prying fingers froze up my browser while they tried to give my computer a colo-rectal exam. NBA.com is the worst site on planet Earth and yes, I blame David Stern personally.
Yo ho ho and a FirstRow stream!
by TMiss on Feb 8, 2012 3:14 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
The PR is worth reading, if only for this...
The other players chosen are:
Joining Rubio and Williams in the pool of players are
— rookies MarShon Brooks (New Jersey), Kyrie Irving (Cleveland),
Brandon Knight (Detroit), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio),
Markieff Morris (Phoenix), Tristan Thompson (Cleveland) and Kemba Walker (Charlotte),
— and sophomores DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento), Landry Fields (New York),
Paul George (Indiana), Blake Griffin (L.A. Clippers),
Gordon Hayward (Utah), Greg Monroe (Detroit),
Tiago Splitter (San Antonio), Evan Turner (Philadelphia), John Wall (Washington).
The NBA is lucky that they didn't lose the season.
They’d have to start putting on the rookies, sophomores, and juniors game until the next lockout.
Pek got robbed
he deserves it over Derrick Williams too.
"David Kahn doesn't like it, so I'm going to keep it." - Kevin Love on growing his beard.
"he deserves it over Derrick Williams too."
One is a rookie, one is a sophomore. They took 9 of each. Williams inclusion had no affect on Pek.
i think he deserves it over Tiago Splitter, this year
but it’s true that Pek has only been a deity for two weeks, whereas Tiago has been a demigod for over a year.
...I've been drinking...
twolfcast ep6 available now! http://twolfcast.podbean.com
Dam
it would have been great if Pek could have spent some time talking to Shaq. I bet Shaq would have given him a pointer or two.
Keep that knucklehead away from Pek
If I'm pissing you off its probably sarcasm
by CoffeeJanitor on Feb 8, 2012 3:37 PM CST up reply actions
I'm sorry
But Pek is more deserving than Splitter and Blake won’t even play, would he?
I guess Pek will just remain our little secret.
I too am a lone wolfpack.
Sophomore All-Stars sometimes do both games
Yao and Rose didn’t, but LeBron and Wade did. Blake played both last year.
The good news is hopeful doesn't mean dumb. The bad news is cynical doesn't mean smart. -- Sarah Silverman
by pagingstanleyroberts on Feb 8, 2012 2:38 PM CST up reply actions
He probably plays
It’s easy fun and easy global promotion time. A smart player will play.
I can predict the future using Norm Van Lier's crystal balls.
"Sam has a tendency to denigrate reports coming from any reporter who didn’t also cover the day Naismith first put up the peach baskets." - snley
this is a great development, I am looking forward to...
(1) The smug look on Stern’s face as he denies they borrowed this draft approach from the NHL all-star game
(2) Shaq/Chuck conducting the most entertaining/absurd draft ever. Are any of these players from LSU?
(3) The snub of Wesley Johnson initiating a meteoric rise in his career, just like the rookie squad snub of KLove (direct quote at the time: “that’s bullshit”) in lieu of Greg Oden (!) helped motivate his career. Obviously Wes improving will never happen, but the idea is nice.
(4) not watching the game, as usual
I also don’t like the practice of ignoring when a players loses an entire season to injury (Oden, Griffin) as a pretext to sneaking them into this rookie challenge game. But I suppose I have no good reaso to feel this way.
Since you're from Brazil
you’re forgiven for thinking that an American sportswriter would EVER ask a tough question of the Commish.
Yo ho ho and a FirstRow stream!
The NHL and NBA copy eachother all the time
Why, the NHL’s commish is the Stern’s former deputy.
I can predict the future using Norm Van Lier's crystal balls.
"Sam has a tendency to denigrate reports coming from any reporter who didn’t also cover the day Naismith first put up the peach baskets." - snley
I had a few things to say and then the facts contradicted them.
Splitter’s the only big I could quibble with putting over Pek, but his numbers are very similar to Pek’s and he’s been in the rotation the entire season.
Ultimately, this doesn’t really matter. Here are some of the historical footnotes to play in this game since it became Rookies vs. Sophomores: Todd MacCulloch, Adrian Griffin, Michael Olowokandi, Marc Jackson, Mateen Cleaves, Khalid El-Amin, Zeljko Rebraca, Marcus Fizer, Lee Nailon, Desmond Mason, Chris Mihm, Gordan Giricek, Marko Jaric, Dajuan Wagner, Jarvis Hayes, Beno Udrih, Luther Head, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Nenad Krstic, Adam Morrison, Marcus Williams, Jorge Garbajosa, Yi Jianlian, Juan Carlos Navarro, Jamario Moon, Sean Williams, Al Thornton.
The good news is hopeful doesn't mean dumb. The bad news is cynical doesn't mean smart. -- Sarah Silverman
by pagingstanleyroberts on Feb 8, 2012 2:33 PM CST reply actions
Marshon Brooks is hurt
Listed as day to day. Says he can return to play in a week.
He’s a rookie though so if he misses another rookie probably replaces him.
I can predict the future using Norm Van Lier's crystal balls.
"Sam has a tendency to denigrate reports coming from any reporter who didn’t also cover the day Naismith first put up the peach baskets." - snley
This may the first time ever that i watch this game
the power of the unicorn
Shocked that ........
Lin is not in this game somehow. As much as the NBA likes to push NY Knicks basketball, I figured they would “arrange it” so Lin would play. Insanity falls over the Rising Stars game (or some crap like that). The NBA is all about media buzz.
Lin went undrafted in the 2010 draft and would be sophmore eligible for the game.
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