NBA All-Star Weekend 2012 Schedule: Stars Who Will Shine Brightest on Saturday

Most of the focus during NBA All-Star weekend is on the All-Star Game itself, but many find Saturday's festivities to be the most exciting. Amway Arena in Orlando, Fla. will host the skills competition portion of the weekend on Saturday night, including the Three-Point and Slam Dunk contests.

Plenty of stars have stolen the show over the years in both of those events and while the star power may not be overwhelming this year, there will be plenty of opportunities for lesser-known players to make a name for themselves. Most of the players in Saturday's events are on the younger side, so they'll be hungry to put on a show.

Here are the three stars who will shine brightest on All-Star Saturday.

Stephen Curry (GS)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry has already developed into one of the game's best shooters, but he won't be partaking in the Three-Point Contest. Rather, Curry will look to defend his title in the Skills Challenge. While the Skills Challenge certainly doesn't receive anywhere near the attention of the Three-Point or Slam Dunk contests, it is a very underrated event that truly tests a player's ball handling skills.

Curry was dominant last year as he was able to maneuver around pylons, feather passes through tires and nail three-pointers. He is one of the most explosive and exciting players in the game and the Skills Challenge allows him to showcase his rare ability.

Curry is already close to becoming a household name, and strong performances in events like the Skills Challenge will only serve to make him even more popular.

Jeremy Evans (UTAH)

With New York Knicks rookie guard Iman Shumpert likely to sit out the Slam Dunk Contest with a knee injury, it appears as though his replacement will be second-year Utah Jazz forward Jeremy Evans, according to Brian Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune. Evans isn't very well known across the league, but his dunking prowess shouldn't be underestimated.

In terms of being a complete player, Evans has a ton of work to do, but there is no question that he has hopes. The Slam Dunk Contest is wide open since he is taking on fellow youngsters in Derrick Williams, Chase Budinger and Paul George. None of those players are in the national spotlight, but all of them are more well known than Evans. The Jazz high-flyer has a great platform to make his presence felt, and he'll do so with some highlight-reel dunks.

Ryan Anderson (ORL)

The Three-Point Contest may be lacking in star power this year—aside from Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love—but there is one player with the ability to tear the house down. Orlando Magic 6'10" forward Ryan Anderson may be the best shooter in the league that nobody is talking about. He is converting at an insane clip of 44 percent from beyond the arc this season and has the natural shooting motion needed to excel in the competition.

Anderson will be competing in front of the hometown fans, so he should have plenty of support. Although bigger players like Dirk Nowitzki, Peja Stojakovic and Larry Bird have won the contest in the past, it is generally thought that smaller players are more likely to excel in the Three-Point Competition. Anderson figures to be the latest big man to buck that trend, though.

All-Star Weekend Schedule

Friday:

NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Rising Stars Challenge, 9 p.m. ET (TNT)

Saturday:

NBA D-League All-Star Game, 2 p.m. ET (NBA TV)

Shooting Stars, 8:30 p.m. ET, first event, (TNT)

Skills Challenge, 8:30 p.m. ET, second event, (TNT)

Three-Point Contest, 8:30 p.m. ET, third event, (TNT)

Slam Dunk Contest, 8:30 p.m. ET, fourth event, (TNT)

Sunday:

All-Star Game, 7:37 p.m. ET (TNT)