NBA Skills Competition Picks and Analysis
By RICKY DIMON
Sprite Slam Dunk Contest
Participants: Shannon Brown (+110), Nate Robinson (+200), Gerald Wallace (+350), DeMar DeRozan (+600), Eric Gordon (+1000)
Favorite: Brown has been a trending topic on Twitter more often than any NBA player outside of Kobe and LeBron for one reason and one reason only: ridiculous dunks.
“They call me the Human Helicopter, TNT legs, human pogo stick,” Brown said. “They call me anything that's exciting or explosive.”
And why not? He already boasts this highlight reel, and even those dunks might seem like chump change after Saturday night.
Best value: DeRozan (+600), a high-flying Toronto Raptors rookie out of Southern Cal, must first win a Friday night dunk-off with Gordon just to get into the main competition. Rumor has it, however, that DeRozan has a Michael Jackson “Thriller” tribute up his sleeve, so it sounds like he’s both athletic and creative. Plus, he wants it bad.
“I grew up watching dunk contests,” DeRozan said in his raptors.com blog. “This has been a part of my NBA dream for a while.”
Foot Locker Three-Point Contest
Participants: Daequan Cook (+275), Stephen Curry (+300), Chauncey Billups (+300), Paul Pierce (+400), Danilo Gallinari (+400), Channing Frye (+550)
Favorite: Cook knows what it takes, having ended Jason Kopono’s two-year reign as three-point champion during last year’s All-Star weekend. The Miami Heat sharpshooter also showed he can handle pressure, draining the final moneyball to force overtime in the 2009 contest before disposing of Rashard Lewis 19-7. Cook is just 32-for-101 (32 percent) from downtown this season, but he should feel comfortable on Saturday night in a familiar situation.
Best value: Frye (+550) is far from the biggest name among the group of six, but he could be the sentimental favorite as a center in the three-point contest. This center, however, is completely deserving. Frye has already made 120 long-range shots this season (at a stellar 43 percent), equaling the exact total from his first four years in the league combined. He is on pace to become the first at his position to lead the NBA in three-pointers made.
Taco Bell Skills Challenge
Participants: Derrick Rose (+160), Steve Nash (+200), Deron Williams (+200), Brandon Jennings (+400)
Favorite: Rose is the defending champion and in case you don’t know what exactly the Skills Challenge entails, this is how the Chicago Bulls point guard won it last year.
A bit of a question mark surfaced on Wednesday night when Rose bruised his right hip against the Orlando Magic. An MRI was negative and Rose should be good to go for All-Star Weekend.
Still, Rose did not rush through last year’s Skills Challenge—instead focusing on fundamentals—and you can bet he won’t rush through it this time, either.
Best value: Nash (+200) won the 2005 Skills Challenge with a time of 25.8, which is now 0.3 seconds off the record set by Williams in 2008. The Phoenix Suns veteran is making his third appearance in the event (first since 2006), so he has more experience than his trio of competitors (Rose and Williams are participating for the second time, Jennings—a rookie—is making his debut).
Jennings (+400) has a chance because he is arguably the fastest of the four entrants, and if he really hightails his way through the course, one converted jump-shot on his first attempt could be all he needs. Still, the Milwaukee Buck is up against three former winners of the Skills Challenge, so his odds are long for a reason.