Justine. wrote:Azubuike is good in game, a good shooter and can slash the defense, keep him
Wall, Evans headline selections for 2011 Rookie Challenge
NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2011 -- Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans, the reigning T-Mobile Rookie of the Year, and Washington Wizards Guard John Wall, the number 1 overall pick who is leading all rookies in points, assists and steals with 19.9 points, 7.9 assists, and 2.3 steals per game, lead a list of 20 players selected for the 2011 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam to be held on Friday, Feb. 18, in Los Angeles during NBA All-Star Weekend 2011.
The participants in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam were selected by the NBA's assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot.
Joining Evans on the Sophomore team are: San Antonio Spurs center DeJuan Blair, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, Houston Rockets forward Terrence Williams, Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi, Indiana Pacers guard Darren Collison, Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson, Charlotte Bobcats forward Derrick Brown, and Oklahoma City Thunder center Byron Mullens.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, top selection of the 2009 NBA Draft, joins Wall on the Rookie team, which also includes: Philadelphia 76ers guard Evan Turner, Toronto Raptors forward Ed Davis, Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic, Boston Celtic guard Avery Bradley, Sacramento Kings center Hassan Whiteside, New York Knicks guard Landry Fields, Golden State Warriors forward Ekpe Udoh, and New Jersey Net forward Damion James.
Last year in Dallas, the Rookies won for the first time since 2002.
Sacramento's Evans earned T-Mobile Rookie Challenge MVP honors after recording 26 points, six rebounds and five assists in the Rookies' 140-128 win.
Below are the rosters for the 2011 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam
All Star Rosters Set, Wizards Wall ends All-Star drought for rookies
NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2011 -- Playing with a fearless demeanor and dominating his rookie counterparts, Washington Wizards rookie John Wall has earned a place on the NBA's brightest stage as one of seven Western Conference reserves for the All-Star Game.
The Feb. 20 showcase from Staples Center in Los Angeles, is being broadcast on TNT and ESPN Radio. Eastern conference coaches broke a 13-year drought by voting in Wall as the first rookie All-Star since San Antonio's Tim Duncan in 1998.
Rounding out the East reserves are a bunch of first year All-Stars, with only 6 time All-Star Amare Stoudemire of the New York Knicks, and the Boston Celtics' 14 time All-Star Kevin Garnett. The other four first-timers include Charlotte Bobcats guard Stephen Jackson, Philadelphia 76er forward Andre Iguodala, Forward Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors center Andrea Bargnani.
Representing the Eastern Conference All-Stars in the starting lineup are Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets, LeBron James of the Miami Heat, Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
Among the notable names that didn't make the cut are the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson, as well as the Boston Celtics' Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce.
For the Western Conference, their reserves are also filled with first-timers. Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trailblazers, and Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis, will appear in their first ever All-Star game at Staples Center as the Western Conference reserves alongside hometown players Pau Gasol of the Lakers (4th time All-Star), and Chris Kaman of the Clippers (2nd time All-Star). The West reserves are rounded off with Gerald Wallace of the Portland Trailblazers (2nd time selection) and Devin Harris (2nd time selection).
The Starters of the West are led by hometown favorite Kobe Bryant, who will look to capture his 4th All-Star Game MVP in his 13th All-Star Game appearance, joining him in the backcourt will be Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, while first time All-Star Al Jefferson of the Utah Jazz will be manning the middle, flanked by 10 time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks, and 2 time All-Star Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Raymond Felton of the Denver Nuggets, who is averaging 16.2 points and 7.4 assists on a very solid Denver Nuggets team, headlines a list of All-Star "snubs" for the Western conference. Steve Nash of the Suns, Tim Duncan of the Spurs, and Yi Jianlian of the New Zealand Panthers could also be in that conversation.
The 2011 NBA All-Star Game will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S. and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.
The All-Star Game will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league's history for a global celebration of the game. Los Angeles and Staples Center will host NBA All-Star 2011, marking the fifth time The City of Angels and the second time Staples Center will be the site of the annual celebration. Staples Center last played host to NBA All-Star in 2004, and L.A. also hosted the All-Star Game in 1963, 1972, and 1983.
Sit wrote:Update looks great but no Panthers? WHere's YI?????
hova- wrote:Good to see you locking in on Battier. The All-Star preview is looking very very good. Many first time selections, but at least KG made it for you, he never makes it in my game.
homicide1550 wrote:Lots of first time all-stars.. Is D-Wade injured? or was just snubbed?
C-77 wrote:Yeah and I also noticed that D-Wade gets snubbed on every nba 2k11 association
Valor wrote:C-77 wrote:Yeah and I also noticed that D-Wade gets snubbed on every nba 2k11 association
lol, perhaps 2K11 has a thing against Wade then....
Good to see you around here again C-77
SamaSama7 wrote:Nooooooooooooooooo!!!! Why Patty?
homicide1550 wrote:Valor wrote:C-77 wrote:Yeah and I also noticed that D-Wade gets snubbed on every nba 2k11 association
lol, perhaps 2K11 has a thing against Wade then....
Good to see you around here again C-77
Maybe Wade refused to be on the cover of previous 2k versions.. haha..
SamaSama7 wrote:I'll be following bro Im from nz
Griffin, Wall not enough as Sophomores take down Rookies
Game Story | Box Score | Team Stats | Player of the Game
Blake Griffin had a monster game, but the rooks fell short
Los Angeles, CA - The two number one overall picks Blake Griffin and John Wall dominated the rookie-sophomore challenge with monster performances in hopes of taking one from the Sophomores.
It just wasn't enough.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin had game highs of 33 points and 17 rebounds while John Wall of the Washington Wizardswas three rebounds shy of a triple double with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists, but the Rookies still fell short to the Sophomore squad, 108-119.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors led the way for the Sophomores with 22 points and 9 assists, taking home the Rookie Challenge MVP honors while the Most Valuable Player of last year's exhibition game - Tyreke Evans, chipped in with 17 points of his own.
The Sophomores relied on a balanced offense and a total team effort to notch the win, 6 players were in double figures and the bench outscored the rookie bench 47 to 34. Terrence Williams, like Evans dropped in 17 points, while Dejuan Blair notched the Sophomore team's lone double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Omri Casspi and Brandon Jennings added 16 and 13 points respectively coming off the bench.
They were also able to turned up the defensive intensity and grabbed their opportunities with the careless mistakes made by the Rookie squad. They forced 19 turnovers, 12 of which were steals.
"I think they just got too fancy to be honest" said Evans "We just took what was there"
However, probably the biggest factor in the game was the free throw shooting, or lack thereof, by the rookie team.
The rookies converted on just 23 of their 41 attempts from the charity stripe, which was more than the difference in the game. While the Sophomores were by no means amazing themselves, they made enough to win the game.
"We sucked at the line" said Evan Turner, who made just 2 of 6 attempts "We laid an egg and they took advantage"
The Sophomore team now extends their all-time record on the Rookies to 9-3.Game Highlights
Axel. wrote:Great games from Griffin and Wall, but too bad the rookies pulled Shaqs at the FT line to cost them the game. Griffin had some nasty jams in there.
Kobe scores 37 points to win MVP as West takes down East
Game Story | Box Score | Team Stats | Player of the Game
Kobe caps off his MVP performance with this tough game-winner at the buzzer
Los Angeles, CA -The Staple Center crowd is spoiled by the greatness of Kobe Bryant every single night.
Especially during an All-Star game.
Nothing was going to stop Bryant from a victory in this All-Star game, not on his home floor.
Shining brightest again among the stars, Bryant brought Showtime back to the All-Star game, scoring 37 points, including the game winner at the buzzer, and tying a record with his fourth MVP award in the Western Conference's 117-115 victory over the East on Sunday night.
"I feel like we have a sense of responsibility and we are voted in for what we do during the season, which is play hard," Bryant said. "And we come here, that's what the fans want to see. They want to see us go at it and see us compete and that's what I try to do and that's what I try to tell my teammates to do."
Returning to the game he dominates after a one-year absence, Bryant ended his spectacular performance on a perfect note in front of the usual celebrity-filled crowd that turns out to see his Lakers at Staples Center.
"It was like playing in a playground. It was like a pickup game almost," Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant said. "Just to watch it, I see it on TV all the time, I play against him all the time. But to be on his team and see the things that he was doing out there is just amazing."
Durant chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets also added 15 points along with 6 assists, as the Western Conference All-Stars rally back from a 10 point deficit in the fourth quarter to notch their 24th All-Star Game victory since the inaugural game in 1951.
The Eastern Conference All-Stars still lead the all-time series 36-24.
Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks paced the East with 18 points, while Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets added 14 points, 6 rebounds and dished out 4 assists. Miami Heat's LeBron James also finished with 14 points on a very efficient 6 for 11 shooting, but opted to only play 19 minutes as he is nursing an ankle injury.
Plenty of Hollywood giants were sitting courtside, but Bryant's popularity here can rival most of them. This week, he became the first athlete to have his handprints and footprints put in concrete outside Hollywood's famed Grauman's Chinese Theater.
Bryant, who missed last year's game in Dallas with an ankle injury, told fans to "enjoy the show" before the tip, and as always he delivered a good one.
"He was unbelievable tonight," James said. "You definitely saw his motor was going tonight."
There were a lot of first-timers in this year's exhibition game, but none was more dramatic than the Wizards' rookie point guard John Wall, who broke a 13-year drought of rookies appearing in the All-Star Game. He finished with 8 points, 7 assists and 3 steals in 19 minutes off the bench.
"I was kinda nervous at the start" Wall said "but I just played my game and had fun out there tonight"
While hearing some of the usual "MVP! MVP! chants he's usually serenaded with at Staples Center, Bryant tied Bob Pettit's record for All-Star game honors.
Bryant was clearly into the game from the very start, going right at his rivals such as Miami's LeBron James and Boston's Kevin Garnett; Bryant drove aggresively for a couple of strong dunks and kept knocking down his patented fadeaway at will.
"It was fun" Bryant said following the game "but now it's time to get back to work"
The rest of the league should take note, because The Black Mamba clearly means business.
Even in the All-Star Game.2011 NBA All-Star Game Highlights
Cruzerr wrote:I wonder where else did he score 37 points and got the MVP.....
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