Cavaliers' Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro selected for NBA Rising Stars competition

Cavaliers center/forward Evan Mobley, the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, and second-year guard Isaac Okoro were among 28 players selected as Rising Stars for the competition during NBA All-Star Weekend at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The league’s assistant coaches chose 12 rookies and 12 sophomores, while NBA G League coaches tabbed four players from G League Ignite. Former Ohio State forward Jae’Sean Tate of the Houston Rockets is also on the sophomore list.

The event is set for Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. (TNT, ESPN Radio).

Twenty other Cavs have competed in the Rising Stars since it began in 1994, with Mobley and Okoro the first since Collin Sexton was chosen in 2020.

Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the selection process is an indication of how opponents feel about Mobley and Okoro.

"It's the acknowledgment of the league," Bickerstaff said before Wednesday night's game in Houston. "To me, that one, in particular, that’s voted on by the assistant coaches, so it’s a respect of people that really study and watch the game.

"To select individuals amongst the 30 teams, it says a lot about the respect they’ve earned around the league and their reputation around the league. They’re not guys who just put up gaudy numbers, they’re guys that impact winning. And people that studied that and paid attention to that, [they] earned a respect for it."

Mobley, the third overall pick from USC, is averaging 14.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.72 blocks (sixth in the league) in 34.2 minutes of 43 games, all starts. He leads rookies in rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage (.505), plus/minus (+136) and dunks (86), stands second in points, minutes and double-doubles (10) and sixth in assists.

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Named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November, Mobley is one of three players in the league averaging at least 14 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, along with Rudy Gobert and Anthony Davis. Mobley is the third rookie since 1973-74 to reach 600 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists, 30 steals and 70 blocks while shooting at least .500 from the field in his first 43 games, a feat reached by Chris Webber and Bobby Jones.

Okoro, the fifth overall pick out of Auburn University in 2020, was named to the league’s All-Rookie second team last season. Okoro became the third rookie in Cavs history to total at least 500 points, 50 three-pointers, 50 steals, and 20 blocks, along with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

This season, Okoro is averaging 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 28.5 minutes of 36 games (30 starts). His plus/minus of +92 is sixth among the league’s first- and second-year players. Since Dec. 10, Okoro is scoring 11 points per game and shooting .573 from the field and .409 from 3-point range.

The league altered the Rising Stars format, now a mini-tournament of three games featuring four seven-player teams. Ricky Barry, Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas and James Worthy were named honorary coaches, with assistants coming from those directing the All-Stars.

The team rosters will be revealed at 6:30 p.m. Friday on TNT.

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The games will be a “Race to 75,” which means they will be played to a target score. Fifty points will be the target for the first two games, 25 points for the third.

After the first two games, the event will include the Clutch Challenge, a timed shooting competition featuring eight NBA and G League Ignite players divided into four teams of two.

NBA Rising Stars selections

ROOKIES: Scottie Barnes (Toronto), Cade Cunningham (Detroit), Ayo Dosunmu (Chicago), Chris Duarte (Indiana), Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City), Jalen Green (Houston), Herbert Jones (New Orleans), Davion Mitchell (Sacramento), Evan Mobley (Cleveland), Alperen Sengun (Houston), Jalen Suggs (Orlando), Franz Wagner (Orlando)

SOPHOMORES: Precious Achiuwa (Toronto), Cole Anthony (Orlando), LaMelo Ball (Charlotte), Desmond Bane (Memphis) Saddiq Bey (Detroit), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota), Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento), Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia), Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota), Isaac Okoro (Cleveland), Isaiah Stewart (Detroit), Jae’Sean Tate (Houston)

G LEAGUE IGNITE: MarJon Beauchamp, Dyson Daniels, Jaden Hardy, Scoot Henderson

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavaliers Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro named NBA Rising Stars