New Orleans Pelicans big man Nicolo Melli has been chosen as a replacement for Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton at this season's Rising Stars Game, according to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.
NBA Rising Stars roster update: New Orleans‘ Nicolo Melli is replacing Suns No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton on the World team.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 13, 2020
The reasoning for this decision is likely due to the fact that Ayton is currently dealing with left ankle soreness. The Bahamian-born big man was held out of Wednesday night's matchup against the Warriors due to the ailment. Hopefully, this bit of rest will lead to his recovery.
Melli, who will serve on the World Team at the Rising Stars Game, is a fine replacement for Ayton. The 29-year-old Italian has made 42 appearances with the Pelicans this season, racking up averages of 6.1 points on 45.5 percent shooting from the field (37.3 percent from beyond the arc), 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 15.6 minutes per outing.
Should there be an age limit for the Rising Stars game? Nicolo Melli is 29 — older than Pelicans teammate Derrick Favors, who is in his 10th NBA season. https://t.co/Ux5Cz0YGjn
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 13, 2020
In his last game — a 138-117 victory over the Thunder on Tuesday night — Melli scored 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes of bench action.
This season's Rising Stars Game is set to be played on February 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET, with TNT having live broadcast coverage. For a full schedule of this year's All-Star festivities, fans can head over to this link from NBA.com.
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