Tag: 2024 All-Star Game

3 OKC Thunder players to participate in 2024 Rising Stars challenge

Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace to participate in 2024 Rising Stars challenge.

The NBA announced its 2024 Rising Stars participants, and the Oklahoma City Thunder will have three representatives.

Unsurprisingly, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace were included among the 21 rookies and second-year players involved.

In 44 games, Williams is averaging 18.7 points on 53.9% shooting, 4.5 assists and four rebounds. He’s shooting 45% from 3 on 3.2 attempts.

The second-year wing has blossomed into OKC’s second-best scorer. The 22-year-old participated in the Rising Stars challenge last season during his rookie season.

In 47 games, Holmgren is averaging 16.7 points on 53.3% shooting, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 blocks. He’s shooting 37.4% from 3 on 4.1 attempts.

The 21-year-old has had a phenomenal rookie campaign after missing all of last season recovering from a Lisfranc injury.

Meanwhile, Wallace has served a key role for the Thunder as one of their top bench options and someone who receives spot starts when needed.

In 47 games, the 20-year-old has averaged 6.7 points on 51.5% shooting, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He’s shooting 42.3% from on 2.6 attempts.

Holmgren, Williams and Wallace will join Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named an All-Star starter, for the weekend festivities. Keyontae Johnson will participate in the G League’s tournament.

The 2024 Rising Stars challenge is set to be played on Saturday, Feb. 17 in Indiana.

The full 28 players involved — 21 in the NBA and seven in the G League:

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Keyontae Johnson to participate in All-Star weekend for G League tournament

Keyontae Johnson to participate in All-Star weekend for G League tournament.

The NBA announced its player pool for the 2024 All-Star weekend G League Up Next Game, and Oklahoma City Thunder two-way rookie Keyontae Johnson was one of 28 participants.

In 21 games with the OKC Blue, Johnson has averaged 20 points on 53.3% shooting and 6.9 rebounds. The 23-year-old has appeared in six games for the Thunder.

“He’s grown a lot as a player,” Blue head coach Kameron Woods said on the selection. “For him to be recognized, to have a chance to play in it, that would be amazing.”

Woods, who’s in his second season as the Blue head coach, was also supportive of the G League tournament concept, stating it aligns with its experimental history.

“I think the league as a whole being kind of experimental with rules and different things like that are good. I think they’re good challenges for coaches,” Woods said. “They’re good challenges for players because they’re different. And that falls in that category. I don’t really know what’s going to come out of it but I know it’ll be good for whoever’s in it.

“And you know, all the experimental rules they do, all the things that are unique to the league, I think are unique for the coaches and everybody that’s a part of it as well. So I think all those things are good.”

The all-star event will feature four teams of seven players competing in a single-elimination tournament. Each team will be coached by a G League head coach. Players will be drafted by four social media influencers.

The full 28-player pool can be read below:

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The tournament will be held during All-Star weekend on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. C.T.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comments on first All-Star starter nod

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comments on first All-Star starter nod.

Over halfway through the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have quickly established themselves as a title contender. A 32-13 record puts them in first place in the Western Conference standings.

Much of OKC’s strong start can be attributed to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ascension to an MVP candidate. In 44 games, he’s averaged 31.1 points on 54.5% shooting, 6.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals. He leads the league in 30-point outings this season.

The 25-year-old’s stellar campaign earned him an All-Star starter nod, the first of his career. It is his second All-Star selection.

Following the Thunder’s blowout win over the Pelicans, Gilgeous-Alexander talked about the starting nod and being voted as one of the 10 best players in the league this season.

“It’s an honor, it’s a blessing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Obviously, there’s so many talented players in the NBA, so many talented guards, especially in the West. To be voted first by my peers — people that do the same job as me every night — is a really good feeling.”

The other two players in OKC’s young trio — Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams — also sounded off on Gilgeous-Alexander’s selection, saying it validates what they already knew about their teammate.

“Well deserved and obvious that it was gonna happen,” Holmgren said. “He’s very deserving and I’m sure it’s not gonna be the last time. It’s good to see that people around the league — other than us — as players respect him, too, because it’s pretty undeniable what he does every single night.

“I’m sure there’s people on every team voting for him because there’s not a night where it’s like he wasn’t an All-Star tonight. He brings it every night and that’s huge for us. He’s gonna continue to do that for a long time.”

Williams kept it short and sweet about Gilgeous-Alexander’s selection: “Duh! That’s all I got.”

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also spoke about Gilgeous-Alexander’s selection, saying his consistency and elevating his teammates is what impresses him the most.

“He does it inside the team,” Daigneault said. “His success also impacts the whole and somehow creates space for other guys to elevate and other guys to improve and other guys to rock out a little bit. …

“He’s able to balance high ambition and high production also with creating the level of space he does for the rest of the team. To me, is the most impressive thing. He’s a great player.”

While Gilgeous-Alexander gets the highest honor, there’s a good shot that Daigneault, Holmgren and Williams join him in the All-Star weekend festivities.

Holmgren and Williams are a lock to be part of the Rising Stars challenge and the former also has an outside shot of being a rookie All-Star if enough injury replacements are needed.

Meanwhile, Daigneault will get chosen to be an All-Star head coach if the Thunder are still in first place by Feb. 4. There’s a decent chance the weekend extravaganza is littered with OKC representation.

The 2024 NBA All-Star game is set to be played on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Indiana.

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Here’s how many votes each OKC Thunder player tallied for 2024 All-Star starter

Here’s how many votes each OKC Thunder player tallied for 2024 All-Star starter:

The NBA announced its 2024 All-Star starters on Thursday. As the league returns to a traditional West vs. East format, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was awarded his first career All-Star starter selection.

It was the 25-year-old’s second All-Star career selection after being named one last season.

Gilgeous-Alexander edged out Stephen Curry for the starting backcourt spot. After trailing him in fan votes, the 25-year-old got the starting nod due to media and player votes.

Gilgeous-Alexander has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 31-13 record and first place in the Western Conference standings. The 25-year-old has played like an MVP candidate this season.

In 43 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points on 54.6% shooting, 6.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals.

The full All-Star starter voting results were revealed following the announcement. All 18 Thunder players appeared at least once among the fan, player, and media votes.

The 2024 NBA All-Star game is set to be played on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Indiana. Let’s break down every Thunder player’s vote total for an All-Star starter.

Rockets’ Alperen Sengun rises to No. 5 in final All-Star fan vote

In an impressive finish, Rockets star Alperen Sengun had the fifth-most 2024 NBA All-Star votes among Western Conference frontcourt players.

Among Western Conference frontcourt players, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun finished fifth in 2024 All-Star fan voting, according to Thursday’s final voting tally from the NBA.

Sengun is the only Houston player who finished the top 10 of fan voting for either frontcourt or backcourt players in the West. The third-year Turkish sensation clearly made an impression among fan voters, who placed him ahead of marquee names such as Los Angeles Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, as well as highly touted San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.

The only frontcourt players ahead of Sengun are future Hall of Famers: LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers; Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets; and Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns.

The fan vote accounted for half of the voting that determined 2024 All-Star starters. Players make up 25%, as does a panel of media members. Sengun finished 11th in player and media voting (results).

Ultimately, to no surprise, James, Durant and Jokic earned the three starting frontcourt spots in the West.

However, Sengun could qualify as a reserve. Those announcements are expected to be made on Thursday, Feb. 1. All 30 NBA head coaches are given a ballot to select three frontcourt players, two backcourt players and two wild-card picks from each conference.

If selected, a reserve could become a starter this year, should one of the starters be injured or choose not to participate. The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be held on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.

Just 21 years old and in his third NBA season, Sengun is averaging 22.1 points (54.1% FG), 9.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.8 minutes. As a team, Houston (20-23) has slightly overachieved relative to its win-loss record expectations, and that could bolster the All-Star case for its best player during a breakout campaign.

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NBA Twitter reacts to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being named 2024 All-Star starter

NBA Twitter reacts to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being named 2024 All-Star starter.

The NBA announced its 2024 All-Star starters and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was selected as one of them. This marks the first time he’s been named a starter and the second time he’s been selected as an All-Star.

Gilgeous-Alexander has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 31-13 record and first place in the Western Conference standings. The 25-year-old has played like an MVP candidate this season.

In 43 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points on 54.6% shooting, 6.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals.

The other West All-Star starters include Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokic.

Let’s look at some of the best reactions on X, formerly known as Twitter, Over Gilgeous-Alexander’s accomplishment.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named as 2024 All-Star starter

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named as 2024 All-Star starter.

The NBA announced its 2024 All-Star starters and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was one of them. This marks the first time he has been named a starter and the second time he’s been an All-Star.

Gilgeous-Alexander edged Stephen Curry for the starting backcourt spot. After trailing Curry in the fan voting, the 25-year-old gained the starting nod due to media and player votes.

The 10 All-Star starters — as the league returns to a traditional West vs. East format this year — are:

  • West: Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic
  • East: Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid

Gilgeous-Alexander has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 31-13 record and first place in the Western Conference standings. The 25-year-old has played like an MVP candidate this season.

In 43 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points on 54.6% shooting, 6.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals.

The Thunder will have an outside shot of gaining a second All-Star. Chet Holmgren was ninth in fan votes among Western Conference frontcourt players, so he’ll likely be outside of the bubble.

This means the 21-year-old could be one of the first injury replacements if All-Star selections sit out the weekend festivities. If Holmgren makes it, he’ll be the first rookie since Blake Griffin in 2011 to be named an All-Star.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also has a legitimate shot at coaching the All-Star game. The easiest path for that to happen is for OKC to be in first place on Feb. 2 — two weeks before the event.

The 2024 NBA All-Star game is set to be played on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Indiana.

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2024 All-Star voting update: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren remain in initial spots

2024 All-Star voting update: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren remain in initial spots.

The NBA released its latest update on fan All-Star voting, and both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren remain in the same spots.

Gilgeous-Alexander (2,331,113 votes) ranks No. 3 among West guards, trailing Luka Doncic (3,205,375 votes) and Stephen Curry (2,616,154 votes).

Holmgren stays at No. 9 among West frontcourt players with 422,330 votes. The full voting results can be viewed below:

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It’s up in the air if he’s an All-Star starter, but Gilgeous-Alexander should easily make his second All-Star appearance this season. The 25-year-old has played like an MVP candidate.

In 39 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31 points on 55.2% shooting, 6.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds. He’s led the Thunder to a 27-13 record, which is good for second place in the Western Conference standings.

It’ll be much more difficult for Holmgren to make the All-Star roster. Seldom does a rookie get All-Star honors in his first season. Blake Griffin was the last player to do it in 2011.

The good news for Holmgren is he should be one of the first players outside of the bubble, which means he could be an injury replacement. After missing last season, Holmgren has made an immediate impact on the Thunder as part of their impressive trio.

In 40 games, Holmgren is averaging 17.4 points on 54.8% shooting, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.5 blocks. He’s shooting 38.7% from 3 on 4.2 attempts.

The 2024 NBA All-Star event is scheduled from Feb. 16 to Feb. 18 in Indiana. Even if Holmgren isn’t named an All-Star, he should join Jalen Williams for the Rising Stars challenge.

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Rockets’ Alperen Sengun holds at No. 6 in All-Star fan voting

In the NBA’s final interim voting update, Rockets center Alperen Sengun remains sixth in 2024 All-Star fan votes among Western Conference frontcourt players.

Among Western Conference frontcourt players, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun remains sixth in 2024 All-Star fan voting, according to Thursday’s voting update from the NBA.

Sengun is the only Houston player in the top 10 of fan voting for either frontcourt or backcourt players in the West.

The frontcourt players ahead of Sengun are future Hall of Famers: LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers; Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets; Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns; and Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sengun is within approximately 24,000 votes of Leonard for fifth place; that gap has narrowed in recent updates.

The fan vote accounts for half of the voting that will eventually determine 2024 All-Star starters. Players make up 25%, as does a panel of media members. Since only three frontcourt players start, Sengun is a longshot to earn that honor. He already trails Durant — third in frontcourt fan voting — by more than two million votes.

However, Sengun could still qualify as a reserve. All 30 NBA head coaches are given a ballot to select three frontcourt players, two backcourt players, and two wild-card picks from each conference.

If selected, a reserve could become a starter this year, should one of the starters be injured or choose not to participate. The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be held on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.

Just 21 years old and in his third NBA season, Sengun is averaging 21.5 points (53.6% FG), 9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.3 minutes. As a team, Houston (19-21) is slightly overachieving relative to its win-loss record expectations, and that could bolster the All-Star case for its best player during a breakout campaign.

Fan voting for 2024 NBA All-Stars continues through Saturday, which makes this the last update until final totals are revealed later this month. Details on how to vote are available here.

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Shams: Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama set to participate in All-Star Week’s Skills Challenge

Wemby is reportedly going to play in the 2024 All-Star Skills Challenge as well as the Rising Stars contest.

While it does not seem especially likely that San Antonio Spurs wunderkind rookie forward Victor Wembanyama will be suiting up to play for the West in this year’s NBA All-Star game, the Frenchman is reportedly set to take part in All-Star Week events just the same.

Wemby is reportedly going to play in the 2024 All-Star Skills Challenge as well as the Rising Stars contest per recent reporting from The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The former No. 1 pick will not be the first big man to take part in the Skills Challenge as it has been won by the likes of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns and Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo in the past.

But he is uniquely talented even for a big and especially for a rookie, which should add plenty of intrigue to an otherwise mediocre event that tends to be overshadowed by the dunk contest and 3-point shootout.

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