Slam Dunk Contest Prediction
Which of the four contenders will emerge as the league’s top dunker tonight when the NBA Slam Dunk Contest takes part of All-Star Saturday Night?
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Dennis Smith Jr. is favored to win this event, as he has +125 odds. Miles Bridges is listed with +225 odds while John Collins has +275 odds and Hamidou Diallo has +325 odds. The Slam Dunk Contest will take place as part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which will be held from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event starts at 8PM ET and will air live on TNT.
Dennis Smith Jr.
The favorite is a second-year player that is currently with the New York Knicks. Recently traded by the Dallas Mavericks, Smith Jr. stands 6-foot-3, but he can certainly jump out of the building. Smith averages 13.7 points and 4.6 assists per game this season. Smith competed in this event last year, finishing third.
Miles Bridges
Bridges is a rookie for the Charlotte Hornets that comes out of Michigan State University. He has had a pretty quiet rookie year, averaging just 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Bridges stands 6-foot-7 and provides a lot of power with his dunks.
John Collins
Collins is a second-year player for the Atlanta Hawks that is having a great 2018-19 season. He is averaging a near double-double of 19.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Collins stands 6-foot-10, but weights just 235 pounds.
Hamidou Diallo
Diallo is a rookie for the Oklahoma City Thunder that comes from Kentucky. The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging just 4.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He seems to be the most unknown of the field, which could work to his advantage if he can win over the crowd early.
Prediction
Smith Jr. may have experience in this event, but that doesn’t always work out. He probably wanted to pull out his best stuff last year and it will be hard to come up with many new ideas in this event. Smith is also the smallest, which could impact his ability to finish challenging dunks. Collins and Bridges have the most height, but Collins is a little stringy and that could hurt his delivery. I personally like Bridges. Though his overall game may be lacking thus far, he has tremendous power with his dunks and he can pull off some athletic tricks. Powerful finishes go a long way in this competition and I think Bridges will be the one to come away with this title.
NBA Slam Dunk Contest Prediction: Miles Bridges +225