With 2013’s NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Contest going underway this evening, I sat down with the guys at Fansided and talked about what would come out of it. Roundtables are back! This one features Ben Beecken, Brad Rowland, Reece Hooker and myself.
1. What do you think of the new format, with each finalist being chosen from the West and the East?
2. Who are your finalists from each conference?
Ben: Gerald Green and Jeremy Evans. James White has hype-machine going for him and seems as though he could be overconfident, with the hole no-practicing thing and everything. Green has had years to prepare for his next contest while bouncing around overseas and back to the D-League. You can’t tell me that the guy that completed the cupcake dunk in 2008 doesn’t have more tricks up his sleeve. And in addition to being last year’s dunk champion, Evans is a pogo stick, plain and simple.
3. Who wins?
Ben: I’ll roll with Green. I’m still intrigued by his creativity, and let’s not forget that this happened just last year.
Brad: James White. He’s the second-best dunker I’ve ever seen (behind Vince Carter circa 2000) and that’s enough to give me the confidence that he’ll put it together. He’s 30 years old now, which could present a loss in explosion, but with his length and repertoire, he’s the favorite, and he’s been training for this for his entire career. If White loses the Eastern conference, I think whoever wins between Ross and Green will beat the West Champ, but White is the pick for me.
4. Will the NBA try to sham a KIA commercial in a James White dunk this year? What’s the over/under on this happening?
Ben: Nah. At least not a KIA. Who’s the sponsor for the dunk contest? Sprite? Maybe someone will be jumping over some beverages? Probably not. Since nothing too sponsor-centric happened last year, I would expect something awkward to happen that involves an ill-fitting sponsor. Although this contest does lack the star-power of a Blake Griffin, so it’s anyone’s guess, really.
Seerat: Wellllll, the NBA caught a lot of flack for the Blake Griffin dunk from fans, but it’s not out of David Stern’s ballpark to try to sham something in there. I’d set the over/under at about 40%. I’m not sure which way I’d bet on it though.