NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2015: Format, TV Schedule and Predictions
Some of the most famous moments in NBA All-Star Weekend history came well before the game during the slam dunk contest. This year could be no different.
Think Michael Jordan soaring through the air from the free-throw line, Blake Griffin leaping over a car or Vince Carter putting on an absolute show and giving birth to the term “Vinsanity.” Could the 2015 dunk contest bring more moments like that?
It is an interesting question considering there are three second-year players and a rookie competing. Regardless of what happens, we are guaranteed to have a first-time winner.
Here is a look at the essential information and a predicted winner for the dunk contest.
2015 NBA Slam Dunk Contest
Date: Saturday, Feb. 14
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: TNT (coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET)
Format
NBA.com broke down the new format, and it is good news for fans who were confused by the team format from a season ago (read, anyone who actually watched the contest).
This year will resemble the old-school dunk contests with two rounds where the dunkers can do any dunk they want without a time limit. The catch is that each participant gets a maximum of three tries to pull off a dunk in both rounds, and five judges will score the dunks on a scale ranging from six to 10.
Each competitor gets two dunks in the first round, and the two with the highest combined scores from those two slams advance to the finals. Each finalist gets two dunks in that championship round, and the highest combined score takes home the trophy.
Predicted Winner
The four youngsters in the competition are Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic, Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets.
LaVine was the favorite on Odds Shark at -110, as of Thursday evening at 9 p.m. ET. Antetokounmpo was listed at +225, Oladipo was +300 and Plumlee was +700.
It is really no wonder that LaVine is the favorite. He puts on a display of aerial acrobatics every time he gets the opportunity in transition and has the explosive athleticism necessary to take home the dunk contest title.
He made the NBA Summer League appointment viewing for fans looking for incredible dunks because he used it as his personal playground to try new tricks in the air and unleash an array of powerful and graceful slams. That type of display is likely why those in Vegas see him as the favorite.
LaVine discussed what the dunk contest meant to him, via Phil Ervin of Fox Sports North: "It's a dream. As a young kid, I always watched Michael Jordan and Kobe and Vince Carter always be in the dunk contest. Especially doing it my first year is going to be crazy."
He may be the rookie in this contest, but he is also the odds-on favorite to take home the title.
Alas, he will not deliver on those odds and capture the crown. Instead, Antetokounmpo will win the dunk contest and add to what is becoming a renaissance of a second year for the budding Milwaukee star.
Steven Loung of Sportsnet.ca described why the “Greek Freak” is a threat to win it this season:
"Probably the most recognizable competitor—largely due to the uniqueness of his nickname, “The Greek Freak”—is also one of the NBA’s brightest ascending stars. Antetokounmpo has the height to play centre and is learning to play point guard right now under Jason Kidd’s tutelage. As far as dunking the basketball goes, his wing span is basically the entire length of the court. Theoretically, he should be able to recreate any dunk ever executed and add a few of his own.
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It is that wing span that should have fans the most excited for what Antetokounmpo has to offer during the dunk contest. He could theoretically throw down a dunk from almost anywhere on the floor and soar through the air from well outside the paint and put an acrobatic spin on a number of slams.
LaVine is a tremendous dunker, but we have already seen explosive guards and small forwards throw down all types of dunks to win these contests. Rarely does a 6’11” player with the skill set of a guard get the chance to wow the fans with his athleticism.
Antetokounmpo will do just that Saturday.
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