The Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers will not compete in this year’s playoffs, but the one place where you might see representatives from all three teams is the 2015 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Timberwolves teammates Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, Philadelphia’s K.J. McDaniels, and Los Angeles’ Nick Young should all be part of this year’s competition where they will get their chance to showcase their athleticism and creativity. Although the Slam Dunk Contest has generated polarizing opinions in recent season with some people wanting to change the rules, others wanted to get rid of it completely, but we still love it and keep looking forward to it.
Andrew Wiggins – Minnesota Timberwolves
The one thing that stands out above all else with Wiggins is his level of athleticism and how quickly that has translated to the NBA level. The 19-year-old rookie has shown off his hops since high school and his father Mitchell nearly broke the news Twitter when he came out and implied that his son will participate in the dunk contest. His slim frame allows him to be a more finesse dunker but he also packs a ton of power and that makes him a little more unpredictable heading in to his first NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Wiggins is a classic fit: high draft pick with star power, so it’ll be fun to see what he comes up with.
Zach LaVine – Minnesota Timberwolves
The other rookie first-round pick on the Timberwolves roster should also get a chance to showcase his skills at the 2015 NBA Slam Dunk Contest after gaining a reputation for his ability to throw it down. LaVine was the Timberwolves’ later (and much maligned) first-round pick, but he is just as talented when it comes to dunking.
He’s the type of player that’s described as someone who can jump out of the gym and we’ve seen those hops already. With verything from windmill dunks starting from near the freethrow line to fantastic flushes in his repertoire, the rookie from UCLA would be a perfect participant. While his NBA game needs more polishing, his dunking is already at a high level.
And who knows? Maybe him and Wiggins have already had some in-house dunk competitions, so it will be interesting to see what the teammates come up with.
DeAndre Jordan – Los Angeles Clippers
Jordan has received his invite to the 2015 NBA Slam Dunk Contest but he is waiting to see if he will make the trip to New Orleans as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team – regardless of his status as a dunker. Jordan wants to be known as more than just a dunker but there is a reason why his reputation precedes him in that regard. It would be very interesting to see what he would have in store as a big man that would easily rank among the favorites to win it if he decided to participate.
K.J. McDaniels – Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are no longer the laughingstock of the NBA and one of the biggest reasons is the athleticism and promise the young players on the roster have shown. One of those studs is McDaniels, who was a late first-round pick out of Clemson. He has shown off his athleticism and creativity while helping to keep Philadelphia fans interested and optimistic about the future. He’s an explosive dunker and it will be exciting to see him unleashed in the contest.
Nick Young – Los Angeles Lakers
Unlike the younger players on this list, Young already has tapes of highlight reel dunks. He has built a reputation around as one of the most athletic dunkers in the NBA. While he hasn’t met a shot he hasn’t been willing to take, this competition won’t put his field goal percentage to the test. With his personality, it should help make him that much more fun to watch. And plus, if he’s coming to All-Star Weekend, you know he’s bringing Iggy Azalea with him. That’s mostly why we want Swaggy P to make the cut.
