Three-Point Contest 2012: Kevin Durant Was a Poor Choice to Replace Joe Johnson

Kevin Durant is the best player in the NBA and is a fabulous outside shooter, but he was a poor choice to replace Atlanta Hawks star Joe Johnson in this year's three-point shootout on All-Star Saturday night.

This sort of event does not cater to Durant's style of play, and his bad performance at last year's three-point shootout proved this. He didn't make it out of the first round last season.

Durant isn't a spot-up shooter and does not sit at the three-point line and wait for an open shot, like most of the players who compete in this event.

Miami Heat sharpshooter James Jones, who was crowned champion of the event last year, is perfect for this kind of competition. Jones is a three-point specialist, and most shots he takes in games for the Heat come from behind the arc. These are open shots because defenses have to respect the scoring ability of teammates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Durant is not a three-point shooter; he's an all-around scorer. Most of his shots from beyond the three-point line aren't open looks like James'—they are shots with a defender's hand in his face. This season, Durant is shooting 36.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Don't get me wrong, Durant is a tremendous player. Since this event lacked star power, the NBA, to its credit, made a safe choice by adding Durant. The other contestants are Jones, Ryan Anderson, Anthony Morrow, Kevin Love and Mario Chalmers. None of those guys are going to excite you—except maybe Love, but he isn't a flashy scorer.

So who should have replaced Johnson in the three-point shootout instead of Durant? New York Knicks forward Steve Novak. 

Novak has been great off the bench for this Knicks this season, and is shooting an astounding 45 percent from three-point land this season. Over the last three games, he has made 11 of his 23 attempts from beyond the arc, including 4-of-5 against the Heat on Thursday night.

Novak's game is staying near the three-point line and knocking down open shots when he gets the ball, meaning he's perfect for the three-point contest.

Durant is a fine outside shooter, but he isn't a good fit for the three-point contest. The NBA made a poor choice by choosing him to replace Johnson, and should have selected someone like Novak instead.