3-Point Contest 2012: Sharpshooters Will Overshadow Lame Slam Dunk Event

For years, the Slam Dunk contest has been considered the highlight of the NBA's All-Star weekend, but it has begun to lose its luster. Often in the shadow of the Slam Dunk competition has been the Three-Point shootout, but it figures to outshine the dunk contest this year.

In terms of skill level and excitement, the Three-Point contest has long been equal to or better than the Slam Dunk event, so there's no reason why the same can't be true this year. In terms of the participants and the prospects in each event, the Three-Point competition simply looks more appealing.

Here are three reasons why the Three-Point contest will outclass the Slam Dunk competition on Saturday night.

Star Power

Since Blake Griffin decided not to defend his Slam Dunk title and Dwight Howard had no interest in competing in front of the hometown fans, the Slam Dunk contest looks to be awfully light in name recognition this year.

While Derrick Williams, Paul George, Chase Budinger and Jeremy Evans will all want to prove themselves on the big stage, there is no major star to draw in the fans.

The same can't be said for the Three-Point contest, though, as two of the league's best all-around players will take part in the form of Kevin Durant and Kevin Love.

While Durant and Love aren't among the favorites in the competition and may not even win, viewers will be very interested to see them compete. Love in particular is a bit of a novelty because he isn't thought of as a three-point shooter.

Hometown Rooting Interest

The All-Star skills competitions are always better when there's a reason for the crowd to get involved. Had Howard decided to reprise his role as Superman in front of the Orlando Magic fans at Amway Arena, there would have been tons of anticipation for the Slam Dunk competition.

Instead, the event will feature four guys who most fans could care less about. The Three-Point contest, on the other hand, will showcase Magic forward Ryan Anderson.

While the 6'10" Anderson isn't a big name across the league, the home-town fans will be pulling for him in a big way, so there should be a great atmosphere during the Three-Point competition because of that.

Anderson also has a fantastic chance to win, since he is one of the most lethal long-range shooters in the game. If that happens, then the excitement in the arena figures to reach a fever pitch. It would make for a tough act to follow as well since the Slam Dunk contest goes on last.

No Gimmicks

One of the biggest reasons for the Slam Dunk contest's demise has been the overuse of props. While props can be good when used properly and in moderation, things have gotten a bit out of control.

Griffin dunking over a car last year is a perfect example. The dunk itself was actually terrible, but because there was a car in front of the hoop, there was misconception that is was a ground-breaking dunk of some kind.

That type of insanity figures to continue this year as players are obviously having a tough time coming up with original dunks without going overboard with gimmicks. The Three-Point competition has been the same since its inception, though, and doesn't need any frills.

It takes an immense amount of skill to repeat a shooting motion consistently from that distance. I'm not saying that the athletic ability displayed in the Slam Dunk contest isn't impressive, but the Three-Point contest is purer and simply more entertaining in my view, and it doesn't need props to do it.