The NBA Rising Stars Challenge is the annual battle between the NBA's best rookies and sophomores as a precursor to the main All-Star game. Previously divided across rookie and sophomore lines, the rosters are now divided into Team World versus Team USA, as the sophomores too often won. In keeping with our lengthy series of All-Star profiles here at GiveMeSport, we will hereby take a look at the participants in this contest for both teams. And to begin with, we take a look below at the Team World roster.

Joel Embiid, Dario Saric and Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers

The whole point of the Philadelphia 76ers’ multi-year asset-stripping rebuild, ‘The Process’, was to be able to acquire franchise-changing talents. And it worked. They have two. Embiid, an entrant in the main All-Star game as well as the Rising Stars challenge, does a combination of things no one else has ever done. From the minute he steps onto the court, his sheer presence is striking, his impact enormous, and his uniqueness obvious.. Simmons, meanwhile, is almost as unique. A 6'10 player genuinely playing the point guard spot is very rare, and for one to do so with such control and impact on his team is even more so. Simmons averages 16.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, along with 1.9 steals and 0.9 blocks, and per NBA.com's player tracking creates 16.1 potential assists (i.e his actual assist total plus assists that would have also been credited had the shot been made/foul not committed), the fifth-highest market in the league. Alongside them both is Saric, playing a much less hyped but very important role as the complimentary power forward. The shadow of Simmons and Embiid masks his own abilities, but they are certainly there; he averages a strong 14.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, on a 57.8% true shooting percentage, most of which is assisted, and much of which is assisted by Simmons. Required to try and do less off the dribble with Simmons in the fold, this has made Saric much more effective at it, given that he can pick his spots and explore mismatches more than having to create so much through a lack of alternatives. He is also shooting better and more regularly from outside, and he gives forth maximum effort defensively, too. Between the three, the Sixers have the best future foundation of any team in the league. And tonight's game should reaffirm that. -

Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic, Sacramento Kings

Amid yet another bad season for the Kings, they have at least got two quality shooting guards to work with. Hield has been particularly up and down, not separating himself from the many Kings options at the guard positions in any distinct way, yet half the time, he looks like a capable NBA shooting guard. Somewhat in the mold of Cuttino Mobley, Hield averages 12.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game with a 42.5% thee-point shooting stroke. He is still largely limited offensively to cuts and spot-ups, doing little when asked to create with the handle. But having made defensive improvements, Hield has become a solid NBA two-way guard. Bogdanovic, meanwhile, has quietly been the team’s best player. Unremarkable except for his remarkable consistency, Bogdanovic has helped out De’Aaron Fox as a playmaker more than George Hill did, and after winning his starting spot two weeks into the season has not relinquished it. Far further down his career trajectory than most NBA rookies given his many years of high level Euroleague basketball, Bogdanovic shoots, drives and passes his way to 11.5 points and 3.2 assists per game. His combination of spot-ups, floaters, bankers and excellent passing vision make him an excellent wingman for any young point guard.