NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2022: Top Contenders, Predictions for Exciting Event
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has become a showcase for the league's young stars over the past decade.
Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green is the lone rookie in the four-man field set to compete Saturday night in Cleveland, Ohio. Second-year players Cole Anthony of the Orlando Magic and Obi Toppin from the New York Knicks are also entered into the contest. Toppin is the lone repeat participant. Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson has the most professional experience of any of the participants.
Toppin holds the advantage in Slam Dunk Contest experience, and he is also the tallest of the four competitors, which may play in his favor as well.
The Slam Dunk Contest will be the final event during Saturday's skills competition. The winner will be determined by a set of judges that typically features NBA legends and celebrities with local connections.
Top Contenders
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Obi Toppin appears to have the edge over the other three competitors on paper.
The second-year player from the New York Knicks has Slam Dunk Contest experience and also boasts height and weight advantages over the other three dunkers.
Toppin finished second behind Anfernee Simons in the 2021 Slam Dunk Contest. He earned one less point than Simons from the judges in the preliminary round before he lost in the final. Toppin has the potential to deliver the most power because of his build, which could play in his favor when it comes to scoring.
Height and power are not the only factors that will go into determining the Slam Dunk Contest winner, though.
Cole Anthony and Jalen Green are 6'3" and 6'4", respectively, but they could still deliver some powerful dunks, and they may be judged better if they land creative dunks because of the degree of difficulty presented by their heights.
Guards have had some success in recent years. Donovan Mitchell, Hamidou Diallo and Simons won three of the past five exhibitions.
Anthony and Green may have to rely more on creativity to land a few dunks to impress the judges.
Toscano-Anderson is the wild card of the group because he does not play as often as the other three players. The sample size of his dunks is smaller, which makes him more of a dark horse.
However, you do not need to be a regular starter to win the Slam Dunk Contest. Simons, Derrick Jones Jr. and Diallo were not massive contributors to their respective sides when they won the event.
Predictions
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Toppin's experience from the 2021 Slam Dunk Contest should play a role in how he approaches the event.
He could come up with more creative slams that impress the judges, who typically adjudicate subjectively.
The Dayton product may have some extra motivation to win as well since he is returning to the state in which he played college basketball. That could be an emotional driving force behind the New York Knick putting on a show in front of the NBA stars and legends of the game in attendance.
Toscano-Anderson does not have a large portfolio of in-game slams, but his legs may be the freshest of the group because of his role with the Golden State Warriors. That could help with the spring in his jumps.
Anthony and Green may have to rely on creativity more than sheer power to earn large scores.
Green has shown some skill in the air throughout his rookie season, but some people may be surprised by his leaping ability Saturday because of the lack of national attention on the Houston Rockets.
Anthony laid down some strong slams of his own this season, but he has mainly been a scorer and distributor on the perimeter, so we are not 100 percent sure of what he brings to the table.
Toppin should be the favorite to win, but that status does not determine the winner. You have to nail the dunks and make them to join the list of Slam Dunk Contest winners.
Prediction: 1. Toppin, 2. Green, 3. Toscano-Anderson, 4. Anthony
