Why 3-Point Shootout Contest Is a Lose-Lose Scenario for Kevin Durant

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant has been named a late replacement to his year's 3-point shootout contest, and honestly there is no benefit for the two-time league scoring champion taking on a role in the competition.

According to Joe Rohde of NewsOK.com, Durant will be replacing Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson, as he will be missing out on this weekend's festivities with an ailing knee injury.

While there is no doubt that Durant can score, as we saw with his 51-point performance against the Denver Nuggets where he went 5-6 from beyond the arc, the Thunder star just doesn't really present what the 3-point contest is about.

This competition is more about shooters and guys who are really just able to shoot and literally nothing else. While Durant can shoot the ball quite well for a considerably big man, a talent like him is better suited to take on the challenge of something like the slam dunk contest.

This season, Durant is only shooting about 35 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks him 59th in the entire NBA. While it would be great to see him win—as he is kind of the odd-man out—Durant just isn't fulfilling an expectation by anyone if he takes away the title.

We would much rather see him electrify us with his creativity, not his ability to shoot the ball. It just isn't something that we take away from this weekend, as the 3-point contest feels more like a competition so we don't leave those who can just shoot out of the event.

Look at the game itself—all that is now is an extended trick event.

We want spectacle, and when we think of Durant, that is what we expect. Shooting a bunch of 3-pointers just isn't going to do for me, and I am sure the same goes for everybody else.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.
Follow @Real_Jeff_Chase