NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2021: Predicting This Year's Contestants

This year's NBA All-Star Game will have a different sort of halftime show.

A year after Chance the Rapper, DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne and Quavo took the stage at the United Center in Chicago before Team LeBron took the 157-155 victory over Team Giannis, the halftime entertainment will come in the form of the Slam Dunk Contest.

Obi Toppin, New York Knicks

Toppin has struggled at the start of his NBA career, with 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds through 21 appearances for the Knicks so far. 

The rookie, who racked up 107 dunks during his 2020 season at Dayton to lead the NCAA, hinted at a Dunk Contest appearance earlier in February in speaking to Marc Berman of the New York Post. 

While he told Berman he's still working on adjusting to the "physicality" and "the speed of the game" at the professional level, one thing that Toppin has carried with him through his start in the league is his affinity for hanging out on the rim.

In a unique season, perhaps the big-time stage of the All-Star Game will help the 22-year-old find his footing when the second half of the 2020-21 season begins. 

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

Similarly to Toppin, Williamson also showed up his competitors with his flashy dunks before he made it to the NBA.

Back when he was 17, Williamson took over the dunk contest at the McDonald's All-American Game before he became even more of a household name when he arrived at Duke. 

In addition to leading the Pelicans with 25.1 points per game, Williamson, a year removed from his All-Rookie selection, has brought his affinity for high-flying shots to the next level.

In early February, his antics forced the second half of a Pelicans-Indiana Pacers game to be delayed when he broke the rim on a dunk attempt.

With skill and flair, Williamson is the perfect candidate for halftime entertainment.

Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets

Bridges had a memorable appearance in the Dunk Contest as a rookie in 2019, though he fell short of the second round.

While averaging 9.9 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Hornets this season, he has continued his penchant for dunking, with 32 dunks so far this season. 

His numbers won't see him being named to the Eastern Conference reserves list, where he'd be on the bench behind starters Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid and Kyrie Irving, but there's certainly a place for him on the All-Star Game stage, where he'd be able to rebound from his 2019 Dunk Contest outing. 

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

Does there even need to be a Slam Dunk Contest after Edwards' dunk of the year from Friday?

The 2020 No. 1 pick took down Yuta Watanabe with a monster dunk in an 86-81 win over the Toronto Raptors.  

Though the Timberwolves are struggling, Edwards is a bright spot. He's the leading rookie scorer in the NBA, averaging 14.3 points and 3.6 rebounds.

His exuberant on-court presence is just an extension of his mindset about Minnesota's season. 

"We're losing a lot, so everybody might come in sad. But that's not going to make it work," Edwards said, per Mark Medina of USA Today. "So I come in happy, loud and energetic. I'm the youngest player, so I just try to have fun with it."

The One Who'll Get Away (Again)

One other player who would be a serious contender in the Slam Dunk Contest is the Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant, who finished sixth in fan voting to be named an All-Star starter.

Though he's certainly shown that he's qualified to participate in the halftime contest, the second-year star said he wouldn't enter if he was chosen, having agreed with the hesitation shown by LeBron James about conducting an All-Star Game in the first place. 

He refused an invitation to participate last season, saying it didn't line up with his desire to help his team "keep pushing and win ball games." 

With the announcement of All-Star reserves coming Tuesday, the Slam Dunk Contest participants should also be made public soon.