Kings’ Haliburton, Mitchell selected for Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend
The Kings got some good news Tuesday when rookie Davion Mitchell and second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton were chosen to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.
Haliburton and Mitchell will be part of a new Rising Stars format featuring a four-team, single-elimination tournament. Twelve NBA rookies, 12 NBA sophomores and four G League Ignite players will make up four seven-man teams that will compete in a three-game tournament Feb. 18 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Teams will be selected through a Rising Stars Draft. Rosters will be unveiled at 3:30 p.m. Friday on NBA TV.
Haliburton, 21, came out of Iowa State as the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He was an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection and a Rookie of the Year finalist after averaging 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists last season. He is averaging 14.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists this season while shooting 46.6% from the field and 42.2% from 3-point range.
Haliburton was a Rising Stars selection last season as well, but the game was not played because All-Star Weekend was shortened to one day due to COVID-19.
The Kings selected Mitchell, 23, with the No. 9 pick in the 2021 draft. The first-year point guard is averaging 9.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 25.2 minutes per game.
Mitchell came into the league with a reputation for defense and has already produced a number of highlight-reel plays on that end of the floor. He has demonstrated his scoring ability more recently after being thrust into the starting lineup due to the absence of De’Aaron Fox. Over the past three games, Mitchell averaged 17.7 points while making 9 of 23 (.391) from 3-point range.
This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 5:05 PM.
