The All-Star weekend has lost its shine in the majority of professional sports but the spectacle of the skill events that the NBA holds every year has separated it from the pack. One of the reasons for that is the dunk competition.
This year’s Sprite Slam Dunk Contest has an added intrigue to it with four of the league’s brightest young players set to compete including Zach LaVine, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, and Mason Plumlee. There’s at least some star power this year after we were forced to witness guys like Jeremy Evans and James White compete in 2013, neither of which are notable players. And we’re back to the battle format after being subjected to a lousy team format last year, which failed miserably.
Here is a list of each player’s odds to win along with a quick breakdown of what to expect once the lights come up.
- Zach LaVine (Min) -110
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) +225
- Victor Oladipo (ORL) +300
- Mason Plumlee (BKN) +700
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Best Bet – Zach LaVine (Min) -110
Anybody that paid attention to the NBA Summer League remembers the wicked dunks that LaVine threw down for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the video of those incredible plays alone during live game action should be enough to make him the favorite. There is no doubt LaVine will do everything he can to go over the top and he has the potential to dominate the field in this competition as long as he avoids the type of costly errors that have hurt other players in the past. Consistency is usually the key to winning this competition so it will be important for LaVine to make the most out of his opportunities without going overboard and risking it all.
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Next In Line – Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) +225
Fans of the Milwaukee Bucks will gladly jump on their young star at plus money in a competition where he can showcase his incredible athleticism without having to worry about defenders getting in his way. Antetokounmpo is another young star that has everything he needs to win the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest and the difference between he and LaVine could come down to consistency and not scoring any zeroes.
The Greek Freak, as he’s known, is a rising star in the NBA but he plays for the Bucks, so he really hasn’t had a coming out party just yet. He’s averaging 12.0 points per game, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.9 steals. And what’s crazy is that he’s only 20 years old.
What some people forget about the NBA’s All-Star weekend is that stars emerge in the rookie-sophomore game and three-point dunk competition. Brands have been built because of it. The Greek Freak is on the cusp and with the entire spotlight on him this weekend, this could be his coming out party. Plus-225 is decent value if you believe that’s the case.
Sleeper Pick – Victor Oladipo (ORL) +300
Plumlee isn’t getting any love from the bookies at +700 and there is probably a reason for the major drop off between he and the rest of the field. Plumlee is the biggest of the bunch but size doesn’t often translate to success in this type of competition – unless the player has the type of star personality that fans and judges can buy in to the same way they did with Dwight Howard a few years ago. Looking at previous winners like Terrence Ross, Evans, Blake Griffin, Nate Robinson, Howard, Gerald Green and Josh Smith, they all have athleticism in their bones. Not many people believe Plumlee has that type of athleticism.
That is why Oladipo is the perfect sleeper pick as an incredibly athletic dunker that might be overlooked in this field. Oladipo might not be hyped the same way as either LaVine or Antetokounmpo, but Orlando Magic fans will be the first to vouch for him as a player that can absolutely bring the house down when he flashes his skill set. LaVine undoubtedly deserves to be the favorite and Antetokounmpo has the skills to win it but don’t overlook Oladipo as the perfect sleeper pick at +300.
