NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2012: Derrick Williams Will Join Elite Class of Dunkers
When the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Derrick Williams last summer, he was supposed to be a star that brought the franchise to prominence once again. It hasn't worked as expected, but he is still young enough to turn things around.
He will have his chance to make a lot of new fans this weekend in the 2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. In a lackluster field, Williams is as safe a choice to win as anyone else.
That is not to say that he doesn't have the ability to go up and throw down some special dunks, but there could be a natural bias against some of the lesser-known players like Paul George, Jeremy Evans and Chase Budinger.
It sounds strange to say that, even though everyone went nuts last year for Blake Griffin dunking over a car. There was nothing special about it, it was just because of who did the dunk that people lost their minds.
Williams has a built-in fan base that knows his work well from Arizona and the NCAA Tournament. Even if his professional career hasn't taken off like we expected it to, he is the best known player participating in the dunk contest.
Plus, it is not like he doesn't have any highlight reel dunks on his resume. Last year against Duke, Williams ran by the rim, grabbed the ball with one hand and slammed it down as his body was flying past the basket.
In that same game, Williams ran by a defender and made Kyle Singler the victim of a posterization. He knows how to dunk in fun, exciting ways that get the crowd fired up.
So when you sit down to watch the dunk contest on Saturday night thinking that no one is going to do anything that will leave you with fond memories, latch on to Williams. He has a track record of great dunks, the size and speed to be creative with the ball and no pressure to perform.
Williams is going to join the ranks of the elite performers in dunk contest history. He won't surpass Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter or Dwight Howard, but he isn't going to be as far away from them as you might think.
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