BENDIGO basketball phenom Dyson Daniels is headed to NBA All-Star weekend after being selected for the revamped Rising Stars concept.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0 for the first time to compete in All-Star weekend<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
They will also compete in a Clutch Challenge in between games, tasked with making baskets from locations of iconic NBA play-off shots.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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