Heat rookie Norris Cole left off of roster for NBA Rising Stars Challenge

by David Dwork on Feb 8, 2012 4:45 PM EST

Earlier today the NBA announced its selections for the Rising Stars Challenge game, which is played annually during All-Star Weekend. You may know it better as the ‘rookie-sophomore game'. Miami Heat rookie point guard Norris Cole was hoping to represent his team and be a part of this game, but unfortunately the NBA had other ideas.

The league is full of talented rookie guards, and Cole was left off the roster that includes the #1 pick from last summer's draft, Kyrie Irving. Other guards also participating in the game are the Timberwolves' Ricky Rubio, the Pistons' Brandon Knight and the Bobcats' Kemba Walker. Cole had a strong start to the season, capturing the attention of Heat fans everywhere, but since then his play has tailed off somewhat.

Here is the full list of participants for the Rising Stars Challenge:

Rookies: Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers), Ricky Rubio (Minnesota Timberwolves), MarShon Brooks (New Jersey Nets), Brandon Knight (Detroit Pistons), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs), Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns), Tristan Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers), Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats), and Derrick Williams (Minnesota Timberwolves).

Sophomores: Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers) DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), Landry Fields (New York Knicks), Paul George (Indiana Pacers), Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz), Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons), Tiago Splitter (San Antonio Spurs), Evan Turner (Philadelphia 76ers), and John Wall (Washington Wizards).

This year the NBA is implementing a new format to this game, which traditionally had the rookies on one team and the second-year players on another team. Instead, the players will be mixed together to create teams. How will the teams be chosen? I'm so glad you asked!

TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal will serve as the general managers of the two teams, while fellow analysts Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson will also have roles in the game. Smith will be the honorary commissioner while Johnson will host the Rising Stars Challenge Draft, which will take place on Thursday February 16^th and broadcast on NBA TV.

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Comments

OK Barkley know the rules this time...

no AI lol. Cole is going through growing pains at times, but I love his aggressiveness. He looks to penetrate and either get a shot near the rim or set up his teammates a lot of the time he was in there.

Has played good d a lot of the time. A lot of those others who were picked get a lot of minutes also. Cole could hold his own if he was on the Cavs or T-Wolves and do just as well as Irving or Rubio respectively IMO.

(Martin Landau) Bela Lugosi: How dare that a****** bring up Karloff? You think it takes talent to do Frankenstein? It's all makeup and grunting.

--From the movie Ed Wood

GET TO THE RIM HEAT (and SKY)! ATTACK THE PAINT!

by mjtig on Feb 8, 2012 5:10 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Wow, Norris Cole is nowhere near Kyrie Irving. I’m a Cavs and Heat fan (I know), so trust me. Kyrie is a much more natural point guard, in the mold of a Chris Paul. I love him but Norris is more of a scorer/undersized 2-guard that can’t really shoot well. I mean, Kyrie is shooting 50%. 50!

by Sakman on Feb 9, 2012 7:22 AM EST up reply actions

Cole is a great penetrator, plays good D...

he could be just as good a point guard on the Cavs as Irving is if he was on the Cavs and had the minutes. Cole has hit big shots already to win games, he can hit the mid-range ok, not so much the 3.

"Booze takes a lot of time and effort if you're going to do a good job with it."
― Raymond Carver, Where I'm Calling From: New and Selected Stories

GET TO THE RIM HEAT (and SKY)! ATTACK THE PAINT!

by mjtig on Feb 9, 2012 2:56 PM EST up reply actions