Bucks coach in Rising Stars final, Alondes Williams and Brandin Podziemski soak in experience

INDIANAPOLIS – The four-team Rising Stars mini-tournament that featured 21 NBA rookies and sophomores and seven G League stars took center stage Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to kick off all-star weekend.

With LED images of Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James ringing the exterior of the court, the action in the center of the theater lighting on the court had a distinctly Wisconsin feel.

Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches headed up two Rising Stars teams, as Joe Prunty was the head coach for Team Jalen Rose while Patrick Mutombo was the head coach Team Detlef Schrempf. Milwaukee native Alondes Williams was on that team while Greenfield’s Brandin Podziemski played on Team Pau Gasol.

Bucks coaches go head-to-head in final

After arriving late from the Bucks’ game in Memphis on Thursday, the Bucks assistants had to run through logistics, and meet their teams and practice and do NBA community events – Prunty estimated they were in Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a total of eight hours.

Prunty’s Team Rose won the Rising Stars, beating Team Tamika Catchings in 40-35 in the semifinal and besting Mutombo’s Team Schrempf 26-13 in the final.

“We’re competitive – you want to win,” Prunty said. “The one thing that was interesting was there was a competitive side to it, too. Our first game was sloppy to start and we were down 9-0 and turned it over two or three times and giving up layups and then it kind of kicked it in and the energy kind of picked up a little bit.

“Even in the second game – they did a great job and obviously won the game – and we knew we had to come out and compete because they were going to play hard. I thought for our guys, that second burst – I know we were up 10-4 but then 20-13 and then closed it out – I was proud of the guys and the way they played. They competed.”

Team Schrempf, which was made up of G League players upset Team Pau Gasol, which featured top draft picks Victor Wembanyama, and Brandon Miller 41-36 in their semifinal.

“I told my family, look at what we get to do – it’s crazy,” Mutombo said with a smile. “Our family’s here. Joe’s family. They’re hanging out. Look at what we get to do because of basketball. So with that in mind, it’s like man, now we get an opportunity to talk to these young men. And I told them, I’m a minor league guy just like you guys. Nobody expects you to do crap, really. So it was fun for me to be paired up with those guys. And just being able to help them and coach them and get that first win. We kind of ran out of talent in that last game but heck, just being here. We do this because you love the game, you love serving people, helping people – so now we get in this environment and we gotta coach.”

Prunty had DJ Bakker, Josh Oppenheimer and Nate Mitchell on his bench and Mutombo had Vin Baker, Trevor Gleeson and Sidney Dobner on his bench. The group will all be together with head coach Doc Rivers for the Eastern Conference team in the All-Star game on Sunday.

Alondes Williams shows out

The 6-foot, 4-inch guard went for the biggest highlight of perhaps the weekend when he immediately challenged 7-5 Rookie of the Year favorite NBA blocks leader Victor Wembanyama at the rim in the early going of his game against Team Gasol.

“It wasn’t part of the plan, but you know since he got in the league everybody been trying to,” Williams said with a big smile. “So, I was trying when I seen the opportunity. But, it didn’t come. I wish.”

Williams didn’t flush it, but he made the tough shot and went to the free throw line for an and-one opportunity – a win in his book. He then had a highlight fastbreak dunk moments later and finished the semifinal with 11 points and two assists to beat Team Gasol and send his team to the championship game.

In the 7-minute final against Team Rose, Williams scored three points in a loss.

But he was all smiles afterward, especially with his mom and a handful of family in attendance.

“It was amazing,” he said. “Always wanted to, you know, experience this experience, every day, every year. Always a dream to play on this type of stage. Finally got to play against the best of the best. And I showed out a little bit. It was great.”

The game wrapped a whirlwind week for the 24-year-old Riverside High School alumnus. He earned the spot in the Rising Stars thanks to his play with the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce – but before that he was signed to a two-way contract by the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

So he jumped on a plane from South Dakota and went right to Fiserv Forum to join the Heat before their game vs. the Bucks. He ended up playing six minutes in the Heat victory in a long-awaited, albeit unexpected homecoming.

“Overwhelming, but grateful to be in this situation, this spot,” he said of the week. “So, I can’t really complain. It’s been great.”

Brandin Podziemski has all-star goals

Podziemski’s night began as he stood head-to-waist with his new teammate in Wembanyama to see who they may face in the Rising Stars final, sharing “oohs!” with some of the plays from the previous game.

Then after 11 minutes on the court, he left with a torn leg sleeve and a bloodied knee. He scored three points and had four assists in a loss to Team Schrempf.

And, he was not happy about it.

“It’s pretty bad – nothing like regular season,” Podziemski said of the temperament of the game. “Saw me diving on the floor a couple times but it’d be nice if we took it seriously.”

He was able to get about a dozen people down from Wisconsin to enjoy it with him and he did soak in the all-star experience – from being around kids, the fan reactions and interaction, and the overall treatment from the league.

“Next year it’s in the Bay, so I’d like to be a part of this event again,” Podziemski said about next year’s All-Star Game in San Francisco, “and three-point contest with me, Steph (Curry) and Klay (Thompson) would be cool. Skill challenge with me, Steph and Draymond (Green) would be cool. But yeah, by year three I’m trying to be here on Sundays.”

The 20-year-old from Greenfield was the No. 19 pick in the draft and by the end of November he had become an integral part of Steve Kerr’s rotation. Since Nov. 30 the St. John’s Military Academy alumnus has started 14 of 35 games and averaged about 30 minutes per game. He’s shooting 38% from behind the three-point line and averaging 11.1 points and 4.5 assists per game as the Warriors try to climb back in the Western Conference playoff picture.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Alondes Williams, Brandin Podziemski soak in Rising Stars experience