NBA All-Star Weekend 2015: Predicting Winners in Saturday Night's Top Events
NBA All-Star Weekend is often among the most entertaining stretches of the NBA season, and it can be argued that All-Star Saturday Night leads the way in that regard.
With a number of entertaining events such as the Three-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Competition and Skills Challenge being contested by the NBA's most talented players, the precursor to Sunday's All-Star Game could very well turn out to be the highlight of the weekend.
Ahead of the sharpshooting, high-flying action, here is a full rundown of predictions for who will come out on top in the biggest competitions All-Star Saturday Night has to offer.
Three-Point Contest
There seem to be more skilled long-range shooters in the NBA right now than ever before, which is why the 2015 Three-Point Contest has the potential to be the most exciting competition in the event's history.
As seen in this graphic, courtesy of NBA on TNT, the eight-player field is stacked with some of the top stars and most accurate shooters in basketball:
Much of the focus will undoubtedly be on Golden State Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. The Splash Brothers have combined for over 300 makes from downtown this season with Thompson nailing his attempts from beyond the arc at an impressive 44-percent clip.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, no two players in NBA history have had more success from a three-point shooting perspective over their first four seasons in the league than Thompson and Curry:
While Thompson and Curry are teammates on every other day of the season, they will definitely look to one-up each other in the Three-Point Contest. Even Thompson has admitted that he wants to get one over on his buddy, per Diamond Leung of the San Jose Mercury News:
This is far from a two-man race, though, since all eight competitors have a legitimate chance to win. Atlanta Hawks forward Kyle Korver is particularly worrisome for Thompson and Curry, as he leads the league with a 52.3 percent success rate from deep.
The 2014-15 season has been owned by the Warriors thus far, though, and it will certainly be fitting when Thompson takes the crown in a hard-fought battle.
Slam Dunk Competition
The NBA Slam Dunk Competition is going back to its roots this season with a simplified format featuring four contestants. All of them can elevate and dominate, but Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Zach LaVine stands out above the rest.
LaVine has made a positive impact in Minnesota during his first season out of UCLA, and one of the biggest reasons for that is his ability to execute highlight-reel dunks. That quality will certainly be useful to him on Saturday night.
As seen in this Vine courtesy of NBA TV, the 19-year-old has a penchant for rising up and slamming it home, thanks to his incredible athletic ability:
LaVine has a big challenge ahead of him, as he will be going up against three other young, hungry participants in Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo and Brooklyn Nets big man Mason Plumlee.
Despite the talented field, LaVine is confident he will come out on top, according to Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press:
The Slam Dunk Competition is difficult to predict since nobody knows for sure what types of creative dunks the contestants have come up with. Based on body of work alone, though, LaVine has to be considered the odds-on favorite.
Skills Challenge
The Skills Challenge may not receive as much hype as the Three-Point Contest or Slam Dunk Competition, but with eight of the NBA's best all-around guards testing every aspect of their skill set, it should make for a highly entertaining event.
Participants will have to run through an obstacle course, which tests them on their ball-handling, passing and shooting ability. To make things even more interesting this year, it will be contested in a bracket-style format, according to SLAM Magazine:
All eight players could conceivably come out on top, including the defending champion, Utah Jazz point guard Trey Burke. In-season momentum often comes into play in these types of events, though, which is why Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague is a name to watch.
The Hawks are the best team in the Eastern Conference this season, and Teague's spectacular play is a big reason for that. He can truly do it all in terms of scoring and setting up his teammates, which makes him an ideal fit for this event.
He also has some added motivation, as he wants to atone for his poor performance the last time he took part in the Skills Challenge, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Teague has a potentially difficult road to the finals, as he must get past Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams in the first round, but he is as complete as they come, which bodes well for his chances.
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