Aaron Gordon came up short in his memorable duel with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine in last year’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest final.
However, since LaVine is unable to defend his crown due to a season-ending knee injury the Orlando Magic power forward has been set as the -150 betting favourite to emerge as this year’s Slam Dunk Contest champion at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Gordon forced a pair of tiebreaker rounds before falling to LaVine in 2016, and he reportedly has been working on spectacular moves ahead of Saturday night’s All-Star Weekend festivities at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
The 21-year-old has also enjoyed a breakthrough season in Orlando, averaging 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in a career-high 27.6 minutes per night.
Gordon has company near the top of the Slam Dunk Contest odds, with Derrick Jones Jr. closely trailing at +120. The undrafted Phoenix Suns small forward is making his first All-Star Weekend appearance despite appearing in just seven career NBA contests and averaging just 1.6 points per game.
A short field of four in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest is rounded out with Indiana Pacers forward Glenn Robinson III pegged at +750 odds, and Los Angeles Clippers veteran centre DeAndre Jordan at a distant +1100 odds.
There will also be action from beyond the arc on Saturday night, with Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson sitting as a +110 betting favourite to successfully defend his title on the odds to win the Three-Point Contest.
Thompson knocked off defending champion and teammate Stephen Curry in last year’s competition, equaling Curry’s NBA record with 27 points in the final, and has averaged 22.1 points per game this season.
2013 Three-Point Contest champion Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers returns after missing last year’s competition sporting +400 odds, ahead of CJ McCollum at +700, while the Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry sits alongside Eric Gordon and Nick Young at +900, followed by Kemba Walker and Wesley Matthews at +1200.
Lowry is joined by backcourt partner DeMar DeRozan as the only Raptors participating in the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. DeRozan will make his first career All-Star Game start at +2800 to win the game’s MVP award, well ahead of Lowry, who sits at +4500.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook enters the break as the leading scorer in the NBA and sits as a +350 favourite to become the first player to win three straight All-Star MVP awards. The Western Conference is a 5-point favourite against the East for Sunday night.
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