Remember the 2016 dunk contest at all-star weekend in Toronto? Of course you do. Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine had a dunk-off for the ages and revived the event after three only quasi-memorable years. The dunk contest was back… again.
Last year it was gone again, a surprisingly snooze-worthy affair in New Orleans that included dunks featuring a drone, two finalists who’ve played 10 total NBA games this season, and DeAndre Jordan dunking over DJ Khaled.
You didn’t miss much.
That’s the nature of the dunk contest. It’s a complete roll of the dice.
At its best, it’s a perfect depiction of the next-level calibre of athlete that the NBA has to offer and the second-most thrilling live TV experience behind only when somebody drops an f-bomb on Saturday Night Live. But the highs only seem to illuminate the lows, and a dunk contest that doesn’t live up to its hype is a real bummer, man.
If the field in the 2018 dunk contest is any indication, we should be in for a treat. Including two high-flying rookies in Donovan Mitchell and Dennis Smith Jr., human-cyclone and contest veteran Victor Oladipo, and token soaring big man Larry Nance Jr., there is too much talent on the floor in Los Angeles on Saturday night to fail.
Here’s a look at the four players with a chance to make history at the dunk contest:
DENNIS SMITH JR., Dallas Mavericks
The betting favourite to win it all, Smith Jr. has been pegged as a future NBA dunk contest winner for years before entering the league.
The six-foot-three Mavericks point guard says he’s peen preparing for this moment for years and already has a nasty NBA dunk resume just a little more than halfway through his first season.
He says he has “50s up his sleeve” and given his stature (the space between his feet and the floor will help to show off his vertical leap), hops, and confidence as a dunker it’s fair to expect big things from Smith Jr. Just last weeks he met with Vince Carter before a game against the Sacramento Kings and picked the former contest champ’s brain. He’s in it to win it, which is crucial to help establish a competitive dunk environment.
VICTOR OLADIPO, Indiana Pacers
Oladipo understands that the dunk contest is pure entertainment, and proved as much when he took part in the 2015 dunk contest in Brooklyn. He came out in a tuxedo while singing Frank Sinatra, and the self-proclaimed “Mr. 360” put his tornado-like body control on display early:
Vous avez déjà vu Frank Sinatra poser un 540° 360° reverse dunk?
Victor Oladipo RDV demain à 17h pour le voir fly! #NBAAfricaGame pic.twitter.com/wUcgxa3ING— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) August 4, 2017
The twirling is Oladipo’s signature, and look for him to incorporate more rotations into his dunks on Saturday night — a risk/reward approach because of its high degree of difficulty, but one that can certainly pay off.
The NBA will be hoping for a big performance from Oladipo, one of the league’s biggest breakout stars this year in his first season with the Pacers and the all-star shooting guard won’t shy from the opportunity to live up to expectations.
DONOVAN MITCHELL, Utah Jazz
Mitchell replaces Aaron Gordon, who was forced to withdraw to injury, but fans around the NBA know he should have been included in the dunk contest from day 1.
The Gordon injury allowed the NBA to right its wrong, and we’re all better for it. Mitchell, the first-year sensation in the running for Rookie of the Year, is one of the most acrobatic dunkers in the NBA.
Like Smith Jr., the six-foot-three Mitchell already has a jaw-dropping dunk resume this season and will be the fan favourite heading into Saturday night.
Mitchell’s dunks are seriously impressive and incredibly smooth. From his repertoire, it’s his alley-oop finishes that stand out as he routinely skies to corral passes and hangs in the air for the finish. Consider the following:
Donovan Mitchell puts down the sick one-hand alley-oop pic.twitter.com/TX6vA480tW
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) January 7, 2018
There are more. Many more.
LARRY NANCE JR., Cleveland Cavaliers
Every dunk contest needs a big man, and Nance Jr. is a fine representative. A legacy dunker (Nance’s old man won the NBA’s first dunk contest back in ’84), Nance Jr. has built his dunking reputation off of poster dunks.
LARRY NANCE JR. PUT KD ON A POSTER pic.twitter.com/xkig7yZ6Ui
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 19, 2017
It will be interesting to see how that translates to the dunk contest, but Nance Jr. has a ton of bounce for a six-foot-nine forward and an ideal blend of power and finesse in his slams.
If ever there was a candidate to pull the “take off jersey to reveal a throwback jersey featuring his franchise’s past dunk icon” move, it’s Nance Jr.
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