All-Star Saturday is upon us, but there’s only one member of the Pacers in the field. It’s time to decide who else we would have liked to see performing in Chicago.
It may not be the main event, but the Saturday night of NBA All-Star Weekend often the most memorable part of the whole break. The Dunk Contest, 3-Point Contest, and Skills Challenge bring in a wide variety of participants, especially since the Skills Challenge was revamped to include bigs and wings. This year, fans will only find one player from the Indiana Pacers between the three events, Domantas Sabonis in the Skills Challenge.
It wouldn’t be fair to include Pacers in all three events (there’s only 28 total slots and 30 teams), but that doesn’t mean we can’t dream. This isn’t the year of uber-athletes on the Pacers since Victor Oladipo is still getting his legs under him, so the Dunk Contest appears to be out, but quality candidates still remain for the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest.
3. T.J. McConnell – Skills Challenge
McConnell is a lightning rod of energy. Every time he touches the floor, he is going 100 miles per hour, but never seems out of control. This coupled with his pin-point passes and agility make him perfect for the Skills Challenge. The only problem is the Skills Challenge is usually reserved for starters. This year the only non-starter is Spencer Dinwiddie, who has filled a starting spot in the place of Kyrie Irving much of the season and would be a Sixth Man of the Year candidate otherwise.
This doesn’t mean McConnell wouldn’t blow away the field. He would easily be the quickest player in the event. And although that isn’t always the perfect recipe for success, it is the best place to start. The only hold-up in this event would be the final 3-point shot, but in very limited attempts this season, the Pacers guard has been serviceable.
2. Malcolm Brogdon – Skills Challenge
Brogdon isn’t the energizer bunny that McConnell is, but his methodical approach could lead him to similar success. He is always under control, rarely misses a pass, and can stroke it from deep. Who among the current participants could match all that? Maybe, Dinwiddie….on a good day.
As can be seen from past victories of Kristaps Porzingis and Karl-Anthony Towns, the event is more about minimizing mistakes. Missing one pass or hitting iron on one three could lose you the entire event. This is where Brogdon’s skillset would shine. No mistakes, just victory.
1. Doug McDermott – 3-Point Contest
This one shouldn’t even have to be brought up. McDermott has a higher 3-point percentage than every player in this year’s field. He is currently fourth in the league in percentage from deep and if he wasn’t being chased around like a member of Mystery Inc., he would be even better.
McDermott getting hot in this event could lead to two or three full racks getting knocked down in a row. The worst part of this whole ordeal is he even came out last month and said he wanted to be part of the event. What more does a sniper have to do to get an invite?