2011 NBA Dunk Contest: Blake Griffin Vs. The Field, Who You Got?
The 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest participants have been announced and it's headlined by rookie Blake Griffin.
He'll be joined by Serge Ibaka, Brandon Jennings and JaVale McGee. All eyes will be on Griffin. He's the favorite heading into the contest and for good reason, considering that he's put together a career's worth of highlights in just one year.
So who do you got: Griffin or the field? Inside we give you evidence for each with a conclusion slide. You be the judge.
JaVale McGee
1 of 9Here's a pretty good sample of what JaVale McGee can do when it comes to the dunk.
McGee threw it down eight times in a game against Atlanta and there's a good variety of dunks. But what you should focus on is the follow-up dunks. He's going to have to do some of these off bounces and whatnot, and he's shown he can get it done.
Don't sleep on McGee.
JaVale McGee
2 of 9Then again...maybe we should be a little concerned.
JaVale McGee tries to channel his inner Dr. J and fails miserably. I don't think we want a repeat of Chris Andersen this time around, with McGee trying to nail a dunk he can't hit in his wildest dreams. Hopefully he thinks his dunks through before the contest.
I hope he doesn't have a moment like that during the contest, at least for his ego's sake.
Brandon Jennings
3 of 9Brandon Jennings will be joining the dunk contest and since this is only his second year, here's some video to give you a taste of what he can do.
Sure, that's in a game that means nothing and a play that never even happened. But for a small guy, he can sure get up there and jam it down with some force. Sometimes it isn't the moves that you do, but how you throw it down, that matters. That makes Jennings a contender.
Hopefully his latest injury doesn't slow him down too much.
Brandon Jennings
4 of 9Here is Brandon Jennings throwing down a dunk in warmups when he was in high school.
That was effortless. If he can throw down a dunk like that, it could be lights out for the rest of the competition at the dunk contest. People may question his selection, but these videos should erase all doubt about it.
I can't wait to see what he comes up with.
Serge Ibaka
5 of 9The biggest head scratcher is Serge Ibaka.
Ibaka is known more for being a defensive player for the Oklahoma City Thunder than anything else, but when he gets the chance, he can put it down with some authority. I know we've seen better, but at least he can throw it down.
He's a bit of a wild card as we look at the contest.
Serge Ibaka
6 of 9OK Serge, I see you son.
Just watch Ibaka run on the break. He's almost galloping and he grabs that with one hand and just throws it down over a defender. That's one heck of a play and I hope that we get to see what Ibaka can do on some lobs in the contest.
I'm talking to you Kevin Durant. Help your boy out.
Blake Griffin
7 of 9Now it's time for the main event.
Blake Griffin is the headliner of the dunk contest and after watching this video, you can see why. Look at his body control, how he gets up in the air and, more importantly, the force that he throws it down with on that play.
It's the perfect combination.
Blake Griffin
8 of 9This is Blake Griffin's latest jaw-dropping dunk and I really can't wait to watch him go.
It's amazing how a big, strong guy like him can throw it down like a swingman. He's just so talented and I think he's going to have all eyes on him coming into this. There's so much hype around him being in it and hopefully he delivers.
It's going to be a fun show.
Conclusion
9 of 9
In the end, I'm going with the big man in this contest.
It's not a strong field and Griffin is so immensely talented that I think he's going to just be head and shoulders above most of the field. I think it will come down to Griffin and Brandon Jennings in the end, with Griffin winning.
That should be a fun showdown, though.
