Daniels earns NBA All-Star nod

BENDIGO basketball phenom Dyson Daniels is headed to NBA All-Star weekend after being selected for the revamped Rising Stars concept.

Daniels has impressed in the G-League for the new Ignite team, created as an option for developing players in the NBA’s second-tier competition.

The 18-year-old has averaged 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 14 games to be one of four Ignite players chosen  for the first time to compete in All-Star weekend

A projected first-round draft pick in June, Daniels has reinforced his status after opting not to follow history-making rookie, and fellow All Stare selectee, Josh Giddey path and make his professional debut in the NBL.

Giddey is the youngest player to register a triple-double in NBA history and recently set an Oklahoma City Thunder record with his 11th double-double in a debut season.

He has played in 44 games, all starts, this season and is averaging 11.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 31.0 minutes per game. His assists lead all rookies.

The future Boomers pairing of Daniels and Giddley will be on show in Cleveland later this month in the Rising Stars exhibition – which will feature four seven-player teams in a three-game tournament.

They’ll play to 50-point targets in two semi-final games before a first-to-25 final, commemorating the NBA’s 75th anniversary season.

They will also compete in a Clutch Challenge in between games, tasked with making baskets from locations of iconic NBA play-off shots.

Giddey and Daniels will join Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum and Ben Simmons as the only Australian players to feature in the Rising Stars.

– BY MURRAY WENZEL/ AAP