3-Point Shootout 2012: Replacing Joe Johnson with Kevin Durant a Brilliant Move

Kevin Durant may not be the best three-point shooter statistically, but he's a superstar, and that's all you need to know.

According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Durant was announced as Joe Johnson's replacement in the Three-Point Contest on Wednesday.

Durant has not only averaged 27.7 points this season—second in the NBA behind Kobe Bryant—he's also shot nearly 37 percent from beyond the arc. It's made him nearly unstoppable this season, as the young Oklahoma City Thunder vie for a championship.

While Durant doesn't compare statistically to such three-point specialists as contestants Mario Chalmers and Ryan Anderson, he brings another element to the competition: pure star power.

Superstars have a way of rising to a challenge, whether it be hitting a game-winning shot or elevating their game in the Three-Point Contest. Durant and contestant Kevin Love will be dark horses in the competition, but they are also superstars, and that means they have the ability to win it outright.

There's also the fact that the Three-Point Contest has never been particularly exciting unless you have stars on the court. Sure, Anthony Morrow is a three-point specialist, but he's an average overall player on the New Jersey Nets. Nobody really gets excited about that.

I would love to see someone like Durant or Love be in the final shootout with a three-point specialist and see what unfolds. Will Durant rise to the challenge? Or will the notorious sharpshooter take him down?

With Durant adding another dimension, I'll probably actually watch the Three-Point Contest this year.