The Sixer Sense
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Rising Stars Challenge Game Preview: Okafor Gets Chance To Shine

By Josh Wilson

Feb 3, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) in a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Wells Fargo Center. The Atlanta Hawks won 124-86.Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) in a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Wells Fargo Center. The Atlanta Hawks won 124-86.Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jahlil Okafor looks to shine in the NBA’s showcase of young talent in the Rising Stars Challenge.

The NBA All-Star Weekend is finally upon us, and the Philadelphia 76ers are getting a well deserved rest after all the losing they did in the first several months of the season. But for rookie Jahlil Okafor, who has adjusted to the several games played and the back-to-backs well, he won’t get a break just yet. Coming off of a game on Wednesday night, Okafor is right back at it on Friday night in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge.

The Rising Stars Challenge is the NBA’s showcase of young talent in the league, and could be seen as the junior All-Star game. These are the players who will be highlighting the All-Star game in 5-7 years if they keep their talent and improvement on its current trajectory. It sure wouldn’t be a surprise to see an All-Star game that features Karl Anthony-Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Jahlil Okafor, Kristaps Porzingis, and Andrew Wiggins in the future.

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Nerlens Noel was also selected for this game, but was taken out due to knee tendinitis that kept him out of the Sixers final game before the break as well. Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns will be replacing him.

History of the game

The Rising Stars Challenge is a bit different from the All-Star game, though. The NBA has tried several different looks to this game to grab fan’s attention on it, but it hasn’t all gone so smoothly. It started out in 1994, when there were two teams, the Phenoms and the Sensations. The next year, there was simply a white team and a green team. Finally, for three years, the league took a more logical approach with Eastern Conference players vs Western Conference players.

After that, something finally stuck and seemed to work, as for 12 years the league went with rookies vs sophomores. This was my personal favorite rendition of the Rising Stars Challenge, but then they changed it up with Team Chuck vs Team Shaq for two seasons, kind of how the NFL Pro Bowl is today where two washed up NBA stars draft teams to play against each other.

And most recently, starting last season, the Rising Stars Challenge changed to a Team USA vs a World Team. This is definitely fitting with how the league has changed and embraced more and more overseas players coming in and being stars of the league. Especially this season, where Kristaps Porzingis is taking the league by storm both on and off the court, it’s a great move, and I personally think it’s a perfect way to set this game up.

Meaningless? Yeah, right

This game may seem to mean nothing, and in all reality, it is an exhibition game that does mean nothing, but Okafor and the other participants are not treating it that way. Jahlil said, “I definitely do want to win.”

What can be taken more from the whole experience is the fact that Okafor will be around star players who will be in the “varsity” All-Star game and who have been in the league for years and really know the ropes. He can observe how they carry themselves, something Brett Brown said was important for the young big man.

After all the losing Okafor had to do in the first half of the season — he and the Sixers lost 45 times — it would be nice for the big fella to win this one.

The game itself

Okafor will be facing off against Porzingis, who is having an incredible season and leading his New York Knicks to a fair amount of wins. Primarily, Okafor will probably be guarding Dwight Powell and Nikola Jokic, but expect some battles between Jah and Staps as well.

Next: Okafor is a more effective 4 than Nerlens Noel

Expect Okafor and the US Team to have a hard time with the World Team, which features Andrew Wiggins who led the World team to a win last season with 22 points.

The game is at 9PM eastern time live from the Air Canada Centre, and can be viewed on TNT.