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Three years ago, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard suited up for the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday and the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. Since then, nobody has done that double dip, nor is anyone set to reverse that trend in New Orleans later this month.

But the rosters for this year's rookie-sophomore game are replete with young studs who will be making their marks during future All-Star Weekends. There's no fewer than a handful of players (i.e. Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic) who have that type of talent, with others sporting the upside to join that discussion down the line.

And that's to say nothing of the third-, fourth- and fifth-year phenoms who can legitimately gripe about being snubbed from this year's All-Star festivities—including Lillard, who's followed up consecutive selections with back-to-back shuns.

There's a flood of fresh blood bubbling up beneath the more established generation of superstars. And it's nearly ready to assume its rightful place in the league's hierarchy.

These seven up-and-comers, listed in alphabetical order, won't be playing alongside basketball's best and brightest in the 2017 midseason showcase. But based on their current production and team-wide impact, they should be angling for invites in 2018 and beyond.