Oklahoma City To Be Well Represented At NBA All-Star Weekend

As NBA All-Star Weekend is set to take place in Salt Lake City in the coming weeks, the Oklahoma City Thunder are beginning to put together a cast of representatives.

There are already two Thunder players that have secured a spot in NBA All-Star 2023, with upwards of two more that could be invited to specific events.

On Tuesday afternoon, the NBA announced the official rosters for the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars event. This is the league’s annual showcase for young talent and potential future All-Stars, with 28 rookies, sophomores and G League players competing on Friday, Feb. 17.

Oklahoma City will be represented by rookie Jalen Williams and sophomore Josh Giddey as part of this 28-man roster.

Giddey has played in 45 games (all starts) this season, producing 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists per contest. Among sophomores, he ranks second in assists, third in rebounds and fourth in points this season.

Despite being a rookie, Williams has emerged as one of the top players on the Thunder roster while averaging 12.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game through 46 appearances (33 starts). Among rookies he ranks second in steals, fourth in assists and fifth in points while being one of the most efficient from the floor.

This marks the second Rising Stars event for Giddey, as he and Williams are the 12th and 13th players in Thunder history to earn these honors.

While the format has changed throughout the years, some iteration of this event has been a staple of NBA All-Star weekend dating back to 1994.

This particular event will function similar to the way it did last year, with a three-game mini-tournament among four teams. The 21 NBA players, selected by NBA assistant coaches, will be drafted onto three seven-player teams.

The seven NBA G League players, selected by the NBA league office, will comprise the fourth team.

To select the 21 NBA player participants, each team across the league submitted a rookie ballot and a sophomore ballot featuring four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players of any position, in order of preference. Coaches were not allowed to vote for any player on their own team.

These talented young teams will be coached by former NBA legends Jason Terry, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Deron Williams. Terry will coach the G League team, while the other three coaches will draft their seven-player NBA rosters.

All three games will be played to a Final Target Score, which means the game will end on a made basket or free throw rather than time expiring.

Outside of Williams and Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is almost a lock for the premier event of the weekend, the 72nd NBA All-Star Game.

The superstar guard is averaging 30.9 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest while shooting 51% from the floor, 36.8% from deep and 90.8% from the line. Simply put, he’s been spectacular on both ends of the floor.

While he arguably should have been a starter in the event, which was voted on by fans, players and the media, he will ultimately have to make it as a reserve.

The reserves will be revealed Thursday, Feb. 2 with seven players being named in each conference. Two guards, three frontcourt players and two additional players at any position will make the cut, with all of these athletes being selected by NBA head coaches.

With Gilgeous-Alexander seemingly being a lock to make the team as a reserve, that means the Thunder should have at least three members of the roster participating in Salt Lake City.

There’s still hope for a fourth, with sharpshooter Isaiah Joe having a legitimate case to be invited to the 2023 PepsiCo 3-Point Contest.

In Joe’s first season with Oklahoma City, he was one of the best 3-point shooters in the entire NBA. Among volume shooters that attempt at least four triples per game, he ranks fourth in efficiency at 44.3% from deep.

Regardless of what happens with Joe, the Thunder’s talented roster is being rewarded for an outstanding start to the season. They’re firmly in the playoff race despite being projected to finish the season near the bottom of the standings.