Brooklyn Nets rookie guard Egor Demin and Team Vince, coached by former Nets legend Vince Carter, are looking to putting their best foot forward in the Rising Stars challenge on Friday. Brooklyn’s only representative for the All-Star Weekend is Demin, meaning that the entire Nets fanbase will be looking to see what he and Team Vince can do. They will be adding a new teammate to the mix, however.
The NBA announced hours before the Rising Star challenge tips off on Friday that Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward will be out for the game due to right knee soreness. San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant will be Coward’s replacement for the event, giving Demin and Carter another rookie to work with while trying to win the whole thing.
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While Bryant hasn’t posted impressive numbers for the Spurs this season due to where he currently is in the rotation, the rookie has been catching his groove as of late. Over his last six games, Carter is averaging 9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 41.3% from the field and 44.0% from three-point range.
Coward, on the other hand, will be a big loss for Team Vince as he’s having a solid season for the Grizzlies, similar to what Demin has been doing for Brooklyn. Coward, 22, is averaging 13.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 46.8% from the floor and 34.0% from behind the three-point line.
Either way, Team Vince will be relying on Demin, Carter, and company to be on their A game if they’re going to beat out Team Melo, Team T-Mac, and Team Austin to win the entire Rising Stars event. Demin, 19, could be one of the more important players as he’s averaging 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per contest while shooting 40.6% from the field and 39.6% from deep.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ Egor Demin, Team Vince add Spurs’ Carter Bryant to RS team