Derrick Jones Jr gives everybody a sample before the dunk contest

Derrick Jones Jr. is the darkhorse for this year’s dunk contest and he gave a sample to what he’ll bring, in warmups.

Derrick Jones Jr. is an undrafted rookie out of UNLV currently on the Phoenix Suns. He has played less than 50 minutes this season and has spent the majority of his professional career so far in the D-League.

Usually, Jones Jr. would be just another face on an NBA team traveling between the D-League and the NBA. It’s likely most fans don’t even know who he is. Despite this, Jones is currently slated to be a contestant in this year’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

He might be a surprising name for the common fan, but don’t let his anonymity be a distraction from his ability to dunk. Jones Jr. is thought of by many to be the dark horse for this year’s dunk contest, and there’s good reason for that.

The highlight video of his dunks from the D-League are out of this world and enough to get anybody excited about him. Unsatisfied with the amount of attention he’s receiving, Jones Jr. decided to use warmups as a chance to show everybody what he can do.

This is just a mere sampling of the kind of dunks Jones Jr is capable of. His competition is DeAndre Jordan, Glenn Robinson III, and last year’s runner up Aaron Gordon — steep competition for a player that’s only been an NBA player for less than a month. But if his highlight videos are any indication, then Jones Jr. is going to be giving everybody a run for his money.

Yet, it’s still unlikely he’s going to win the Slam Dunk Contest. He definitely has a great chance at making the final round, but topping Aaron Gordon is a tall task, because Gordon arguably tied last year’s title with Zach Lavine.

Many believe that Gordon’s final dunk should have been a 50 and the competition should have continued. Nobody really lost year, but someone had to eventually “win” to end it.

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That’s who Jones Jr. has to beat. It’s not going to be easy.