The Utah Jazz will be well-represented during All-Star Weekend this year. Walker Kessler and Keyonte George were selected to play in the Rising Stars Game, which is scheduled for February 17 in Indianapolis. This will be Kessler's second appearance in the annual event, while George will be playing for the first time.
Kessler has had two solid seasons since arriving in Salt Lake City via the Rudy Gobert exchange in 2022. He's averaging 8.4 points and 7.4 rebounds a game while shooting 65.7% from the field. George was also acquired as a result of the same trade. The Jazz selected George with the Minnesota Timberwolves 16th overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft and is averaging 11 points and 4.3 assists per game
Kessler will play with the sophomores, led by Paolo Banchero, Keegan Murray, and Jalen Williams. As for the rookies, Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, and Chet Holgrem are the most notable players who will be participating.
It is unknown whether Lauri Markkanen will join his teammates for the All-Star festivities. The All-Star reserves will be announced Thursday on TNT. Markkanen made the cut last season, but this year, it will be much tougher.
With Kevin Durant playing with the Phoenix Suns and Kawhi Leonard healthy, he may fall a little short. However, it won't be because Markkanen isn't producing on the court. He's averaging 23.8 points and shooting 40% from long distance this year. Also, over the last 10 games, he's averaging 24.3 points and 9.1 rebounds a game.
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