Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young and Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving are All-Stars after all.
Two of the most notable omissions from the initial pool, Young will replace injured Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo while Irving will take the spot of new teammate Anthony Davis, the NBA announced Monday.
Antetokounmpo is out through the All-Star break with a calf strain while Davis suffered an adductor strain in his Mavericks debut on Saturday.
This is Young’s fourth All-Star selection of his seven-year career. He is averaging 23.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and a league-high 11.4 assists for the Hawks this season. For Irving, it will be his ninth All-Star appearance. He is averaging 24.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field and 40.7% from beyond the arc.
This year’s All-Star Game has a new format: It will actually be three separate games, featuring three All-Star teams and the Rising Stars winners. The three All-Star teams, which are composed of eight players each, were drafted by Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith last Thursday.
Barkley selected Antetokounmpo with his second pick. Young will replace Antetokounmpo on Team Chuck. Since Barkley mostly selected big men, Young will make the team a bit more balanced. Davis was O’Neal’s third pick, so Irving will now join Team Shaq in his place.
Festivities kick off in San Francisco on Friday and run through the weekend, including a skills challenge, a 3-point battle and the slam dunk contest.
