Oklahoma City Thunder combo guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will replace Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose in the Skills Challenge during All-Star weekend, per Marc Spears of ESPN:

Rose–who had also been attracting attention as a potential All-Star reserve–was set to make a triumphant return to his hometown of Chicago. However, Rose dropped out on Wednesday, enabling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to step in. Rose reportedly withdrew due to concerns over a groin injury sustained during Detroit's win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a very exciting replacement.

The second-year pro out of Kentucky has had an excellent campaign with the Thunder, averaging 19.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting an even 46 percent from the field. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has also played in all 51 games thus far.

Chris Paul and SGA have been the most effective and productive players in clutch situations, and Paul's mentorship of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has seemingly had a big impact on his game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's growth is a large reason why the Thunder are outperforming expectations. Oklahoma City (31-20) are currently sixth in the Western Conference, and they are just 1 1/2 games back of the Houston Rockets for the fourth seed.

The Thunder had a number of trade assets entering Thursday's deadline, including Danilo Gallinari (on an expiring contract), Dennis Schroeder and Steven Adams. However, general manager Sam Presti will ride things out with this current group.

As for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he hopes to bring some hardware back from All-Star weekend.

The Skills Challenge is meant to test every aspect of a player's game, from their speed and dribbling to their passing and shooting abilities. Jayson Tatum is the reigning champion, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should pose stiff competition due to his skill set.

—

Follow ClutchPoints on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook. We can also be found on Flipboard where you can subscribe and follow us. Get more on the Thunder.

All of our NBA content can be found on the NBA section of the ClutchPoints home page here. For all of our college basketball content, click here.