The NBA on Thursday announced that Houston Rockets rookie Tari Eason will replace Detroit Pistons rookie Jalen Duren in the NBA Rising Stars competition on Friday in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Duren will miss the annual showcase at All-Star Weekend due to a sprained right ankle, the league announced. He missed five games last month because of the injury and now will rest ahead of the Pistons’ final 23 games of the season.
He is averaging 8.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 51 games.
Eason was viewed as perhaps the top snub from the Rising Stars game, and will now have the opportunity to play in the exhibition. He is averaging 8.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 44.4% shooting from the field in 58 games.
The 17th pick has started only three times, but he is on pace to become the third player to average at least eight points, five rebounds and one steal in fewer than 20 minutes per game in a season.
He recorded three straight double-doubles from Jan. 26-Feb. 1.
Tari Eason is joining the @NBAAllStar Rising Stars 🤩
Represent 🤘 pic.twitter.com/LnyxlNKO17
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 16, 2023
The Rising Stars competition will feature four seven-player teams competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three games for the second straight year. Each game will be played to a final target score, meaning a game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of a running clock.
The pool of 28 players for the game consists of 11 first-year players, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The rookies and sophomores were selected by assistant coaches, and the G League players were chosen by the league office.
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