NBA All-Star 2021 prediction: Who will win the dunk contest?
After weeks of uncertainty, the NBA All-Star 2021 game is scheduled to happen on 7th March, at around 8PM ET. Every year, the All-Star festivities are scheduled over a full weekend. However, owing to the global pandemic, the NBA All-Star 2021 competitions have all been crammed into a single night.
The skills challenge and the NBA 3-point contest are expected to start around 6:30PM, before the tip-off of the All-Star game. Meanwhile, the NBA All-Star 2021 dunk contest will take place during half-time, with the number of participants being reduced to three, from four.
Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks, Anfernee Simons of the Portland Trailblazers, and Cassius Stanley of the Indiana Pacers are the three players who will be taking part in the contest this time around.
In this article, we look at the player profiles and try to predict the winner of the NBA All-star 2021 dunk contest.
#1 Obi Toppin – New York Knicks
Obi Toppin, a 2020 lottery pick for the New York Knicks, has registered quite a few impressive dunks in his limited game-time. He hasn’t yet started a game for the New York Knicks, but has the makings of a mercurial power forward who can throw down at will.
Obi Toppin has indicated that he hopes to win the NBA All-Star 2021 dunk contest in his bid to earn more regular playing time for the New York Knicks. He takes inspiration from his father, Obadiah Toppin, who was formerly a professional basketball player as well.
#2 Cassius Stanley – Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers’ rookie is currently on a two-way contract with Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA-G league. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils and has garnered an impressive reputation as a serial dunker.
The Pacers’ rookie hasn’t had his chance until now to impress coach Nate Bjorkgren, and has registered minutes in only 8 games. He is averaging 1.1 points in the 2.9 minutes that he has played per game.
#3 Anfernee Simons – Portland Trailblazers
Anfernee Simons is easily the most established among the three participating NBA players in the NBA All-Star 2021 dunk contest. He is the first American player to be drafted to an NBA team straight after graduating from high-school.
Now in his third NBA season, Simons has struggled with injuries, but has all the tools required to become a top shooting guard. He has started just five games in his three seasons, and is averaging 8.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in his 17 minutes per game. Apart from his dunking skills, Simons is a hugely impressive 3-point shooter, and has an accuracy of 41.1% from the 3-point zone this season.
NBA All-Star 2021 dunk contest prediction: Who is the favorite to win?
The NBA All-Star 2021 dunk contest will be judged by former NBA stars Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, Jason Richardson, Dee Brown and Josh Smith. Obi Toppin has already shown his dunking skills in the NBA, and had a huge reputation in college.
Anfernee Simons has registered only 2 dunks in the NBA, but has the most experience out of the three. Cassius Stanley, on the other hand, has a habit of producing memorable dunks, and broke Zion Williamson’s school record for the maximum vertical jump back at Duke. Overall, Stanley is the favorite to win the NBA All-Star 2021 dunk contest.