This is going to be one heck of a Slam Dunk Competition this coming NBA All-Star weekend. And I mean that in the worst kind of way. A four-way competition between Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown, Nate Robinson and either DeMar DeRozan or Eric Gordon isn’t going to get too many people excited. Where are all the big names that we expected. Where’s LeBron James?
After last year’s riveting dunk-off between Robinson and Dwight Howard, James said he would compete in year’s comp; something that he obviously didn’t follow through on. Why he backed out, I don’t know, but it leaves us with a disappointing field of guys that, quite frankly, I’m not the littlest bit excited to see go at it in Dallas.
Rumour has it that Robinson was even forced to compete because he is the defending champ. It would be his third title if he wins, but how much more can this guy do? The fact that he’s 5’9″ limits him enough to begin with and the fact that has competed as many times as he has, limits the variety of fresh dunks we haven’t seen from him. Needless to say, there’s no going back to the well and dunking over Dwight again.
And what is up with a Friday night dunk-off between DeRozan and Gordon to even compete in the main event? That sounds like an awful idea and it puts even more pressure on those two to come in with not just five dunks for the main event, but also two others to just make it. And what if they’re forced to use one of their best moves in the qualifier? Both these guys are behind the eight ball and it’s only January.
Right now, my money would be on Wallace to take it. The qualifiers are longshots as I just stated, Nate has done this too many times and is old hat and I can’t buy into Shannon Brown lighting it up.
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