The NBA announced the All-Star Game reserves on Thursday night. No Sixers were selected, but Michael Carter-Williams will still represent the franchise during All-Star weekend when he takes part in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge.
Carter-Williams had a lot going on Wednesday when he learned the news of his latest rookie accolade. He was visiting with family and friends and preparing for his first game in his home state of Massachusetts as an NBA player.
Good things followed, with MCW grabbing a key rebound with 10.7 seconds left that led to Evan Turner’s game-winning bucket.
“It was great playing in front of them,” Carter-Williams said. “I hope they always come out and support me whenever I am here to play. I am thankful for them and I had a great time.”
True to his personality, Carter-Williams was confident yet humble accepting his invitation to the Rising Stars Challenge.
“It means a lot. I have been playing pretty well this year, so I anticipated that I would be in the game,” Carter-Williams said. “I am happy to be in it and I can’t wait to go down there and play, meet some of the older guys and see some of the guys I went through NBA draft camp with.”
Sixers head coach Brett Brown is always saying he wants more from his starting point guard. Every coach looks and sees untapped potential, but he is also the first to acknowledge the incredible rookie season Carter-Williams is putting together.
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“Every coach thinks his player is special and his numbers confirm that he is special,” Brown said. “He has been putting in a lot of work. He is prideful in studying other point guards, and to be selected by assistant coaches around the league and have it not entirely be a popularity fan-base thing I think speaks a lot in regards to what other coaches think of him.”
Carter-Williams has already been a part of more games this season than his entire stint at Syracuse a season ago and he still has 36 games to play.
Carter-Williams, like every rookie, has encountered ups and downs, maybe because of the physicality of the NBA game or the mental grind of an 82-game season. Still, he continues to lead all rookies in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. His field goal percentage is just 40.1 percent, ranking 26th among rookies and 123rd in the NBA.
Carter-Williams could use a break. Instead, he will have a chance to showcase his talents on a national stage in New Orleans and maybe rub elbows with greatness.
In a different way, that is just as valuable as the rest he would have gotten by staying home.
“I have had the privilege of coaching in two [All-Star Games],” Brown said. “You walk into a locker room and see 24 of the best players in the world all under one roof. You look around and you are just blown away by the talent.
“You get to absorb the weekend and it is a fast-moving weekend. It is no time for rest and Michael will not get to experience rest. I wished he could. but at the same time I am proud of him and I really do want him to enjoy this experience.”