The Detroit Pistons‘ two rookies were unsurprisingly named Tuesday to the NBA’s Jordan Rising Stars game at All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City.
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren will compete in the annual showcase for the league’s top young talent, set to feature 28 rookies, sophomores and G League players in games Feb. 17 in Utah.
Orlando Magic second-year forward Franz Wagner, who spent two seasons at Michigan, is on the roster, as is G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson, widely projected as the No. 2 pick in June’s 2023 draft.
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Ivey, who turns 21 on Feb. 13, was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft and has collected 15.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 0.9 steals in 30 minutes per game through 48 games (47 starts).
Duren, 19, whom the Pistons traded for and selected with the 13th pick, has appeared in 44 games and averaged 8.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, an assist and 0.8 blocks, shooting 66% from the field. Duren, the youngest player in the league, has posted 10.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 19 starts since Dec. 9. He is tied for the most double-doubles by rookies with 10.
Ivey and Duren are two of six first-round picks the Pistons have selected over the past three seasons under general manager Troy Weaver. But the team remains one of the worst in the NBA and is 13-39 this season, ahead of only Houston — the Rockets defeated the Pistons on Saturday in Detroit, despite missing their top three scorers.
Cade Cunningham made the Rising Stars team last season, as did sophomore Pistons teammates Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, and won MVP of the event. He is out for the rest of this season following shin surgery in December after playing in 12 games.
The Rising Stars competition will consist of four teams: Three teams of seven NBA players and one team of seven G Leaguers. (NBA players were selected, after an initial ballot, by NBA assistant coaches; the league office picked the G League team.) The games will be played to a set score: 40 points for the two semifinals and 25 for the final.
Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Deron Williams will draft and coach the NBA’s three teams, and Jason Terry will guide the G Leaguers.