The Sports Inquirer

Release from Atlanta Hawks’ Media Relations:

Atlanta Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap will replace the injured Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans in the Degree Shooting Stars during State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.  The same night Hawks guard Dennis Schröder will participate in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, along with teammate Jeff Teague.

Millsap, who is also playing in his second consecutive NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, will team with six-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and two-time WNBA All-Star Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky in the Degree Shooting Stars.

He is one-of-two players in the NBA (the only Eastern Conference player) averaging at least 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals this season.  On the year, he is recording 16.8 points (t35th in NBA), 7.9 rebounds (28th), 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals (11th).

Hawks legend and Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins is also part of the competition, teaming with Miami’s Chris Bosh and Swin Cash of the WNBA’s New York Liberty.

Schröder is replacing Washington’s John Wall in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, and will join Teague, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Chicago’s Jimmy Butler, Utah’s Trey Burke, Philadelphia’s Michael Carter-Williams, Milwaukee’s Brandon Knight and Phoenix’s Isaiah Thomas in the eight-player field, which features a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format for the first time.

Both events will be televised exclusively by TNT, which starts its coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Schröder is also playing for the World Team in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 13, at Barclays Center.

The second-year guard is averaging 8.5 points, 3.5 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 18.0 minutes (.443 FG%, .786 FT%) in 52 games (five starting assignments) this season.  He has raised his assists by 1.6 per game over last season, the second-highest increase among players from the 2013 draft class, while raising his scoring average by 4.8 points per game and FT% by 11.2% (both the fifth-highest increase).