Jan 11, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Raptors guard Terrence Ross (31) against the Charlotte Bobcats at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Bobcats 99-78. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Closing out the show at All-Star Saturday, as always, is the Slam Dunk Contest. The most iconic event of All-Star weekend has produced many memorable moments during its 27 year run. Hopefully tonight, the 28^th edition will provide just as much excitement as the previous years. Last year’s champion, Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz is back this year to defend his title.

Continuing with this year’s new format of Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference, the contest will be set up as followed, according to NBA.com,

“The 2013 Sprite Slam Dunk contest will consist of the three Eastern Conference players competing against the three from the Western Conference in a two-round competition. The highest scoring East competitor and the highest scoring West competitor from the Team Round will compete head-to-head to determine the champion.”

The Participants:

Gerald Green – Indiana Pacers

Terrence Ross – Toronto Raptors

James White – New York Knicks

Kenneth Faried – Denver Nuggets

Eric Bledsoe – Los Angeles Clippers

Jeremy Evans – Utah Jazz

Prediction:

Just like the Three-Point contest, the Slam Dunk contest features a stacked field this year. There’s no wonder why hopes are high for this group to revive the event. Every one of these competitors has proved their dunking abilities on numerous occasions throughout their careers.

And while many are picking the James “Flight” White to win, my pick for tonight is Raptors’ rookie Terrence Ross. Ross has proved time and again this season that he is one of the best dunkers in the league. With the crazy dunks Ross has pulled off during games, I have no doubt he can do even better with no defense around.

Feb 22, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Steve Novak (16) gestures after scoring a basket during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The third event in the lineup for All-Star Saturday is the Three-Point Contest. This will be the 27^th year that sharpshooters have competed for the honor of being crowned best three-point shooter. Last year’s event was won by the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love, who is absent this year.

The Three-Point contest is pretty straight forward, as described by NBA.com here,

“Five shooting stations will be set up around the three-point line, with four Official Spalding NBA game balls worth one point each and one Spalding NBA All-Star 2013 commemorative red, white and blue “money ball” worth two points at each location. Each player will have one minute to shoot as many balls as he can.”

The Participants:

Paul George – Indiana Pacers

Kyrie Irving – Cleveland Cavaliers

Steve Novak – New York Knicks

Ryan Anderson – New Orleans Hornets

Matt Bonner – San Antonio Spurs

Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors

Prediction:

This is a loaded field this year, with Novak, Curry, and Bonner, three of the top 5 three-point shooters by percentage in the league. With all the talent, multiple guys are capable of winning, but my pick tonight is the Knicks’ Steve Novak. The three-point contest is all about shooting standing still, and that is Novak’s forte.

Feb 13, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (0) drives with the ball against the New Orleans Hornets during the second half of a game at the New Orleans Arena. The Hornets defeated the Trail Blazer 99-63. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

For the second event of All-Star Saturday, six point guards will square off in the Skills Challenge. This is the 11^th year that this event has taken place. The title was taken home last year by San Antonio Spurs’ guard Tony Parker, who is returning to defend his crown this year.

The competition is essentially an obstacle course, and involves many different traits of a point guard’s game.

NBA.com describes it as so,

“The Taco Bell Skills Challenge was introduced at NBA All-Star 2003 in Atlanta and features players competing in a two-round timed “obstacle course” consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations. All players must observe basic NBA ball-handling rules while completing the course.”

The Participants:

Jrue Holliday – Philadelphia 76ers

Brandon Knight – Detroit Pistons

Jeff Teague – Atlanta Hawks

Tony Parker – San Antonio Spurs

Jeremy Lin – Houston Rockets

Damian Lillard – Portland Trail Blazers

Prediction:

While last year’s champion, Tony Parker is back to defend his title; I like Portland’s rookie sensation Damian Lillard to take home the crown. Lillard has had a fantastic rookie campaign, averaging about 18 points and 6 assists a game. He has shown he possesses all the traits required to win this event, and I think he’ll come out with something to prove.

Apr 6, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; Washington Wizards assistant coach Sam Cassell before a game against the New Jersey Nets the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

NBA All-Star Saturday kicks off tonight at 8:30 PM Eastern time with the Shooting Stars competition. This year at All-Star Weekend, for the first time, the Western Conference will be competing against the Eastern Conference.

This will be the seventh year that this event has been a part of All-Star weekend. Last year’s event was won by Team New York, featuring Landry Fields, Allan Houston, and Cappie Pondexter.

Here, NBA.com provides a breakdown of the rules:

“The Sears Shooting Stars contest features one current NBA player, one current WNBA player and one NBA legend on each team. There are six numbered shooting locations of increasing difficulty, with each team attempting to make all shots in numeric order in the fastest time.”

The Participants:

Team Harden – James Harden, Sam Cassell, and Tina Thompson

Team Westbrook – Russell Westbrook, Robert Horry, Maya Moore

Team Bosh – Chris Bosh, Dominique Wilkins, Swin Cash

Team Lopez – Brook Lopez, Muggsy Bogues, Tamika Catchings

Prediction:

For the opening act, I’m going with Team Harden. Having two guards (Harden and Cassell) is a big advantage in shooting contests, and Tina Thompson is one of the best WNBA players ever. Look for Team Harden to use their home court advantage to take home the crown.

On the passing side, however, nothing stood out quite like Ricky Rubio’s assist to Bradley Beal in the waning seconds of the 1^st half.

As Rubio drove the baseline, he looked toward the crowd as he threw a bounce pass between his legs to a cutting Beal, who slammed it home for two.

Rubio finished with 10 assists, tied for the most on the night, while Beal added 12 points to help Team Chuck knock off Team Shaq 163-135.

Feb 8, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets former center Yao Ming waves to the crowd against the Portland Trail Blazers in the third quarter at the Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Trail Blazers 118-103. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The most iconic of the All-Star weekend events, the dunk contest, has been disappointing over the last few years. The increased use of props and stunts has turned some fans off. Some also believe that there are just no new dunks to be done.

This year however, there is renewed hope about the dunk contest. Terrence Ross, James White and Gerald Green will be dunking for the East and Kenneth Faried, Eric Bledsoe and Jeremy Evans will be dunking for the West. All of them have shown in the past that they are capable of pulling off ridiculous dunks, whether it was in a game or a dunk contest.

Yesterday, the men who will be judging just how impressive the dunks are, were announced. Seeing as All-Star weekend is in Houston, it makes sense that the 4 judges are all Houston Rockets legends.

Yao Ming says he’ll join Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler & Dikembe Mutombo n judging the Slam Dunk Contest. Yao says he’ll bring down avg age

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) February 14, 2013

Bringing in Yao, Olajuwon, Drexler and Mutombo is a cool move by the NBA. Hopefully they will be in for an exciting and memorable night.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) speaks at a press conference after the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 116-107. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Later this afternoon, the NBA will be holding its All-Star media day.

For the first time ever, this event will be streamed online for fans to watch. To check it out, head over to this link: http://www.nba.com/amexallstar/.

Fans will even be able to ask questions, either on the site, or via Twitter. The event will begin at 1:30 PM Eastern time.

Jan 11, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard James White (4) advances the ball during the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden. Chicago won 108-101. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Slam Dunk Contest used to be one of All-Star Weekend’s most enthralling showcases, but lost its charm somewhere along the way. It was infiltrated by gimmicks, the dunks were watered down and the stars began to desert the contest that once wrote legends. After watching Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz win the 2012 Dunk Contest with a mediocre leap over Kevin Hart, the eulogies were written. The Dunk Contest was dead. Speculation grew that it could be scrapped in 2013, or at least that is should be. But of course, it’s back. And for the first time in years, maybe we should be excited.

The list, as announced by the NBA last Thursday reads as follows:

• Jeremy Evans (Utah Jazz)
• James White (New York Knicks)
• Gerald Green (Indiana Pacers)
• Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets)
• Terrence Ross (Toronto Raptors)
• Eric Bledsoe (Los Angeles Clippers)

Although the list lacks the star power of old (notable omissions including Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James) this is by far the best line-up the contest has seen in years. Evans returns for his customary title defense, and will have to up his game from last year if he wants to retain the crown. Kenneth Faried and Eric Bledsoe are both surprising picks, but it’ll be interesting to see what they can pull out.

The three to take note of and get excited about all belong to the Eastern Conference – James White, Terrence Ross and Gerald Green. All three are men with a devastating ability to throw down a dunk and should provide ample entertainment in Houston.

Gerald Green, the 2007 champion, returns this time for the Pacers. He won in 2007 wearing Celtic green, hammering home an alley-oop off of the glass in the final round to take out the crown before following up in 2008 as a Timberwolf only to fall short to Dwight Howard in the final round. His experience in the dunk contest and the theatrics that go along with it, coupled with his still deadly bounce should make him one of the most feared competitors in the contest this year.

Green’s conference mate Terrence Ross of the Toronto Raptors is only a rookie, but he’s already proving to be electric in transition. The former Huskie is the first Toronto Dunk Contest participant since DeMar DeRozan’s back-to-back attempts in the Contest and he aims to be the first Raptor to win since Vince Carter’s memorable performance in 2000; a year that the Raptors took out the top three places with Carter beating out teammates Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady in the Finals. In his short time in the league, Ross has already taken the time to let Jason Smith know just how hard he puts it down and he’s ready to follow in the footsteps of Josh Smith, Nate Robinson, Blake Griffin and Kobe Bryant as rookies who have won the Dunk Contest.

And finally the main draw of the Dunk Contest, James “Flight” White. Back in the NBA for his third stint after fleeting appearances with the Spurs in 2006 and Houston and Denver in 2009, White is in the middle of a one year deal with Knicks. It’s his first time appearing the NBA Dunk Contest, but his resumé contains the most experience out of all his peers, if not the entire league. In 2010, White triumphed over the same Gerald Green in the Russian Cup Dunk Contest. ‘Flight’ also came runner-up in the 2001 McDonald’s High School Slam Dunk Contest against future Warrior David Lee and against David Noel of NC in 2006 NCAA Dunk Contest. He has showcased his skills in the 2012 All Star Serie A Italian Dunk Contest, 2009 NBA D-League Dunk Contest, 2010 Nike Dunk Contest, among others. With a dazzling array of dunks and a wealth of experience, watching this Flight take off will be essential viewing.

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest, in recent installments, has been the most uninspired and underwhelming All-Star event in American sports since the NFL Pro Bowl. It needs a strong year to silence the doubters. That means inventive dunks, ditching the props and losing the gimmicks. The league can’t control what the players choose to do, and they can’t make the reluctant stars want to dunk; but at least they’ve finally picked the right men for the job. The ball’s in your court, dunkers. Show us what you’ve got.

Jan 30, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Eric Bledsoe (12) dunks the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Dante Cunningham (33) in the second half at Target Center. The Clippers won 96-90. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Last night on TNT, the players who will be taking part in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker 3-Point Contest, and Sprite Slam Dunk Contest were all announced. Each field of players is split into East and West sides because whichever conference wins the most challenges gets to donate money to their favorite charities. Without further ado, here are the participants.

Taco Bell Skills Challenge:

East

• Jrue Holiday, Sixers
• Brandon Knight, Pistons
• Jeff Teague, Hawks

West

• Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
• Jeremy Lin, Rockets
• Tony Parker, Spurs

Foot Locker 3-Point Contest:

East

• Paul George, Pacers
• Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers
• Steve Novak, Knicks

West

• Ryan Anderson, Hornets
• Matt Bonner, Spurs
• Stephen Curry, Warriors

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest:

East

• Gerald Green, Pacers
• Terrence Ross, Raptors
• James White, Knicks

West

• Eric Bledsoe, Clippers
• Jeremy Evans, Jazz
• Kenneth Faried, Nuggets

Follow @TimMacLean_StS

Skills Competition:

Ricky Rubio – Although Ricky Rubio is just recently getting back to form, you can’t deny his incredible ball skills and ability to set his teammates up. Rubio’s superior passing skills will allow him to breeze through the stations that involve either the chest or bounce pass. He may struggle a little bit with the set shot but I wouldn’t expect him to miss every shot attempt. Also, if Rubio does participate in this contest, it will be interesting to see how quickly he can get through the dribble portion. The sharp turns and change of direction could be an interesting test of that rebuilt knee of his. Even if he does struggle with the dribble and shooting stations, anticipate him to make up for it by firing in each of his pass attempts on the first or second try.

Jrue Holiday – Holiday is an up and coming star in this league and even if Kyrie Irving gets the nod over him at the starting point guard position, he should be allowed to show off his improved skill set in this competition. Despite the fact that he may not be the fastest point guard in the league, Holiday has the handle to get through the dribble course quite easily. Now I’m not saying that Jrue is slow but there are other potential candidates that will put you in the dust if you aren’t careful. The 76ers floor general will knock down his set shot with ease and will, for the most part, connect with his passes on the first or second try. However, I wouldn’t be shocked if he needed an extra attempt or two. Because of his vast overall improvement, Holiday deserves to be apart of the competition.

Ty Lawson – Remember those guys I mentioned that could blow by you in a blink of an eye? Well, yeah that’s Ty Lawson. Lawson has incredible end to end speed that rivals the likes of Derrick Rose and John Wall. He will have no problem pushing the tempo through the dribble course and getting to the basket quickly for his round finishing layup. If you had asked me earlier this year, I would’ve said that he would struggle with the jumper but anybody that has been following the Nuggets knows that he’s getting his confidence back game after game. Look for a guy like Lawson to use his speed and shot to his advantage because he may need a little extra time on those passes.

Kyrie Irving – This is sort of a pipe dream pick because I doubt that two of the point guards that actually made the All Star team would participate in a Saturday night event as well. Throw the doubt out the window though because as fans, we’re allowed to dream. Irving will have virtually no problem with the jump shot and his speed and handles will get him through the course in no time. You might argue he would have trouble with the passes but that’s far from the truth. Just because Irving isn’t averaging mind boggling assist totals doesn’t mean he isn’t a great passer and play maker. Given the team he plays for there aren’t many options for him to pass to. Look for Irving to fly through the dribble slalom and knock down his jumper on the first try. He may miss a pass or two but I wouldn’t count on it too much.

Winner: Kyrie Irving

3-Point Contest:

Klay Thompson – I think it’s fair to say that Klay Thompson is one of the most improved players of the 2012-13 season. After a relatively quiet rookie season, Thompson splashed onto the scene and became a go to three point shooter. According to NBA.com, Thompson is shooting 39% from downtown, converting on 128 of his 327 attempts. He ranks 34th in the league in 3 point percentage. In my opinion, his ranking doesn’t do him just because he is the kind of player that can get hot and go on streaks that are very exciting to watch.

Stephen Curry – Thompson’s teammate, Steph Curry, is a guy that can absolutely shoot the lights out. According to NBA.com, Curry is 2nd in the league in 3 point percentage. Through 43 games, Curry is shooting at a 46% clip from beyond the arc. The most impressive aspect of his 3 point shooting is that he is making 3.2 per game. Curry seems like a good fit for this contest because he can drain the long ball and doesn’t over use his legs while shooting it. As a result, Steph might not get as tired as his competition while he goes through the five racks of balls.

Kyle Korver – Korver is currently leading the league in 3 point percentage, coming in at an other worldly 47%, according to NBA.com. I’ve witnessed how dangerous he can be when he gets on a roll. I watched my Celtics take on the Hawks on January 25th and Kyle torched the C’s for 27 points, 24 of them coming on 3 pointers. Despite shooting the 3 ball the most efficiently I’m not sure how he would make out in a contest like this. He is more of a catch and shoot guy and he elevates a decent amount with each attempt. His shooting form could ultimately tire him out.

O.J. Mayo – If anyone (other than Curry and Korver) deserves to be in this contest, it’s O.J. Mayo. In his first year as a Dallas Maverick, Mayo burst onto the scene with remarkable 3 point shooting accuracy. I was happy to see him get a chance to show the league what he can do after a few frustrating years in Memphis. What I’ve learned so far from his short tenure with the Mavs, the man can flat out shoot. According to NBA.com, Mayo is tied with Kevin Durant for the 13th best 3 point percentage in the league. At around 42%, Mayo is making exactly two 3′s per game. If he gets a chance to participate, look for him to make some noise. I would take him as a sleeper pick.

Kevin Martin – So far it seems as though Kevin Martin is really enjoying his sixth man role with the Thunder. He doesn’t have to worry about setting up his inferior teammates like he had to do in both Sacramento and Houston. Instead, Martin just has to focus on getting open looks from distance and knocking them down with regularity. NBA.com has Martin ranked 6th in the NBA with a a percentage of 44%. Six of his fifteen points per game come off 3 pointers and despite his unorthodox release, Martin is a threat to get hot at any moment over the course of a game.

Steve Novak – Steve Novak was made for events like these. The Marquette alum doesn’t do much else but shoot the 3 but he’s extremely good at doing just that. Holding down the 4th spot for best 3 point percentage is Novak. He’s converting at a clip of 45% and six of his seven points per game come off of 3′s, according to NBA.com. Novak has little lift in his shot to go along with deadly accuracy. These two factors would play a huge role in his potential success in the NBA’s 3 point shootout.

Winner: Steve Novak

Dunk Contest:

Jeremy Evans – Although Evans gets little to no playing time with the Utah Jazz, he did win the contest last year. By default I’m including him on this list because more often than not, the NBA invites back the previous year’s winner to defend their crown. I’ll admit Evans is a gifted athlete but to be completely honest, last year’s contest was insulting. I don’t think I’ve seen a worse contest since I’ve been watching them. I’ll give him his credit though and predict that he’ll return to the competition this year seeking back to back titles.

J.R. Smith – We’ve seen J.R. Smith on this stage before and he did pretty well, despite Josh Smith winning that contest. This year Smith has thrown down some pretty nasty dunks. The one that comes to mind is the alley-oop from Pablo Prigioni where Smith had to basically reach down to his feet to catch the ball and threw the it down behind his head on the reverse. Smith is insanely athletic and can really send it in with flash and power for a guy his size. Smith would be a nice sleeper pick were he to compete.

Harrison Barnes – I’m not sure if anybody is paying attention to the rookie out of North Carolina but they should be. He may not be putting up Stephen Curry like numbers for the Warriors but he sure knows how to send a spark through the stadium. If you haven’t seen his vicious slam over one of the strongest centers in the NBA, I suggest you go watch it. Poor Nikola Pekovic was completely defenseless when Barnes came thundering through the lane. The rookie almost used Pek as a platform to push himself higher into the air and slam it through with authority. This kid is athletic, he must be because he was heavily compared to Kobe Bryant. He might not ever be as good as Bryant but he can sure dunk like a young Bryant.

Jeff Green – A little bit of home cooking here as I am one of the biggest Celtics fans you would ever meet. That’s besides the point though because Green truly deserves to be in this contest. Not only has he been playing better basketball in wake of the Rondo and Sullinger injuries, but he has consistently been making posters left and right. Jeff has punished guys like Al Jefferson, Marcin Gortat, Chris Bosh and Nikola Vucevic for getting in his way. Green gives Celtics fans something to be excited about as he is the apparent heir to the small forward position when Paul Pierce calls it quits. The Georgetown product is a freak athlete and embarrasses opposing players regularly. A word of advice: If you see Green coming down the lane, get out of the way.

Winner: Jeff Green

Now that you know who I would like to see compete in these extremely entertaining events, I would like to know who you think will be there on February 16th. Leave a comment below telling me who you would choose and why.

Jan 5, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) goes up for a dunk against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers won 95-80. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

Delightfully, my quams with the NBA All-Star rosters are at a minimum this season (compared to past seasons). With a few minor exceptions, I think they got it almost right this year.

The starters are set in stone and while it’s typical for some fans act outright delusional and warrant restricted access to All-Star voting, there’s nothing us realistic fans can do to change it. Besides, other than Kevin Garnett, I’m actually fine with the ten starters. Normally I could rant all day about the flaws with fan voting, but I’ll leave it alone while the going is good for this season.

Even though the reserves (announced Thursday night) were in decent shape, there are always exceptions. Coaches of the NBA, you did alright, but there’s always an opportunity for improvement. Let’s discuss.

 What They Did Right

• Jrue Holiday. Of all the All-Star selections, the Jrue Holiday one pick is my favorite. There is no secret to how I feel about the Holiday All-Star scenario. With the guard situation in the East, he deserves to go over Deron Williams, over Brandon Jennings and even despite their better record, he certainly deserves to go over J.R. Smith. If you want the full rant, check the list posted above. Even though he’s already been named, I’ll slide in that he posted a career-high 35 points earlier tonight.
• Paul George. I was extremely happy to see the coaches select George to his first All-Star appearance in the Eastern Conference. Sitting at 26-18 (only 4 games out of 1st) someone had to represent the Pacers in this game right? With the absence of Roy Hibbert, who’s having an abomination of a season, George has stepped up big time to lead Indiana back after a disappointing start to the season. David West certainly warrants some consideration, but George has put together the complete package or scoring, rebounding and defense (he even averages 3.7 assists per contest). Logging a heavy 36.7 minutes per game, I personally thought George was a no-brainer. I’m glad the coaches felt the same way.
• The omitting of Paul Pierce. This was exactly right. I listened to someone on a podcast the other day drive my view on All-Star selections home perfectly. The All-Star game is played every season, so we should be honoring those players that are having the very best CURRENT seasons. Past performance should be such a minor consideration. In the case of Paul Pierce, he’s clearly not at the All-Star level in years past. His numbers are way down and if you simply watch him play, he’s no longer a dominant player. And his disappointing Celtics are under .500 in the mediocre East. To put Paul Pierce in the All-Star game this season would have been a travesty. Thank you again coaches.

What They Did Wrong

• LaMarcus Aldridge over Stephen Curry. Look, I’m actually a huge LaMarcus Aldridge guy and I particularly love watching the Blazers play, especially that starting five. I think Aldridge is one of the premier post players in the league. However, Steph Curry is having a more fantastic season. He’s averaging 20.9 points (8th in the league), .450 from 3-point range (2nd) and a very healthy 6.5 assists per game (14th). He’s stayed relatively healthy while his Warriors are a very solid (and overachieving) 26-17, currently good for the 5th seed in a tough Western Conference. David Lee was became the first Warrior All-Star since Latrell Sprewell in 1997, Steph Curry should have been the second one.
• Chris Bosh over Brook Lopez. I get it, the “Big Three” need major representation. I’ve actually grown to like Bosh’s role in Miami as the third wheel as well. He’s become extremely efficient and compliments James and Wade well. But really, he doesn’t have All-Star numbers. Even though their numbers are pretty close (Bosh is at 17.2 pts, 7.2 rebs, 1.4 blks while Lopez is at 18.6 pts, 7.3 rebs, 2.1 blks), Brook Lopez should have been selected to represent the Nets in the game. Both Joe Johnson and Deron Williams are having down seasons (to say the least) and the Heat already have two guys in the starting lineup. It’s no coincedence that the Nets are where they are and it frustrates me that not a single player from the East’s #4 seed is in the game. Besides, Lopez has consistently been one of the best bigs in the entire league this year. He should be going to Houston, period. The coaches messed this one up big time.
• Luol Deng. I have nothing against Luol Deng, I just think his spot deserved to go to one of Josh Smith, Al Horford or Brook Lopez. The Bulls have a solid record (without Derrick Rose), but already have one All-Star representing them in Joakim Noah, which the the right choice. The Nets (26-18) or the Hawks (25-18), who I also feel are overachieving aren’t represented in the game. Both Hawks players have better overall numbers than Deng’s 17.4 pts, 6.4 rebs and 3.0 asts per game. As you can probably tell, I’m a fan of maximizing team representation (within reason) and while Deng is a very solid and important player to the Bulls, I think the coaches whiffed here.

What They Should Do Next Season

Just go ahead and expand the damn rosters to 13 players! The regular season rosters are now permanently set at 13, so the league needs to mix in some common sense and mirror that for next year’s game in New Orleans. Consider it redemption for this Pelicans fiasco.

January 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after making a basket against the Los Angeles Clippers during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 115-94. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Sadly, after many, many years, I’m retiring from Slam Dunk Contest fandom. Simply, there’s nothing left to be done and it’s far too gimmicky today. The dunks that should win the contest never do, as it takes a (sponsor’s) car driven on to the court to even have a chance. Look, I could go on all day about my beef with the Dunk Contest, maybe we’ll save that for a seperate post.

But the Three-Point Shootout on the other hand, now that requires skill. It also does NOT involve judgement of any kind. You take ‘em, you make ‘em, and you move on. With the three point shot becoming an ever-increasing weapon of choice in today’s NBA, there are also plenty of guys that can bomb from long range. Thus, it’s hard to pick just six players that I’d like to see in the contest.

However, at this moment in time, here are the six I would like to compete in Houston for the shooting crown:

Stephen Curry, Warriors

Simply, Curry is the best pure shooter in the league right now and his numbers completely back it up. While he’s only second to Anderson in 3-point makes, he’s also second in the whole league in percentage at an incredible .452%. With the Warriors success, Curry should also double as an actual All-Star, so very fitting for him to be in this as well. He made the second round last year, I expect him to WIN this year.

Ryan Anderson, Hornets

The contest must inculde this guy. Ryan Anderson is  straight lethal. The Magic should have done everything in their power to keep him around, but that’s a story for another day. A volume 3-point shooter, Anderson currently leads the league in total 3-point makes (109), total 3-point attempts (270), 3-point makes per game (3.1) and still manages to shoot it at a .404% clip (28th). Even with a small hitch in his shot, he has one of the quickest releases in the league. Being 6’10 certainly helps him easily get his shot off. If (when) Anderson gets named, I expect him to at least make it out of the first round.

Ray Allen, Heat

Of course we need a sentimental and former champion pick… and that’s Ray Allen. With his 7th time entering the contest (his 4th with a different jersey on), Ray would be a bit of a throwback favorite to win. But let’s not kid ourselves, Ray can still shoot the lights out, as he ranks 3rd in the entire league this season in 3-point percentage. Having only one win (in 2001-02), I’m sure Ray would love to add a second trophy to his mantle.

O.J. Mayo, Mavericks

O.J. Mayo once led the league in 3-point percentage by a WIDE margin, as he was blazing hot to start the season (he’s now ranked 14th at .421%). He’s obviously still a solid shooter from the outside (he’s 5th in total made) and I think it would a compliment to his impressive season to have him be a participant in the contest for the first time. Lord knows, the Mavs could use some kind of excitement in this down year.

Klay Thompson, Warriors

Rarely would I want two players from the same team in the contest, but I think a little “side bet” type competition between Curry and Thompson would be fun. Like Curry, Thompson is a lights out shooter, although he’s been a tad streaky this season than Curry. Still, he’s 3rd behind him in 3-point makes with 93 and is excellent at the catch and shoot, which is the recipe for this contest. How cool would it be to have two Warriors launching in the finals? Very cool.

Carmelo Anthony, Knicks

Of course, everyone knows that Carmelo is a “scorer” first, “shooter” second. But given his very impressive season from behind the arc and the Knicks early success, he deserves to make his debut in the contest. Lord knows, he loves to shoot it. He does rank 10th overall in percentage (.428%) and 3rd overall in 3-point makes per game (2.8). Let’s get Melo chucking.

Other considerations (my apologies to):

James Harden, Rockets – Being in Houston, seems fitting.
Steve Novak, Knicks – Deadly accurate, a specialist.
Kyle Korver, Hawks – How has this guy only been in two of these?
Kevin Martin, Thunder - Even more efficient from three than from two.
Metta World Peace, Lakers – C’mon, you know he secretly wants in!