Who is replacing Anfernee Simons in the 2023 NBA 3-point shooting contest?
This is just in! Anfernee Simons has officially withdrawn from the upcoming NBA 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend as a result of an ankle injury. According to Shams Charania, Simons' ankle will need further evaluation, forcing him to the sidelines for All-Star weekend.
As a result, New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle has been tapped to replace Simons. Randle, who will also be participating in Sunday night's All-Star game, will now step in on short notice to make a run at the three-point title.
New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle is expected to replace Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons in the NBA 3-Point contest at All-Star weekend, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Randle has proven himself to be one of the best three-point-shooting big men in the league. This season, he has averaged 33.8% from the field, leading many to question how he found his way into the three-point contest. According to NBA.com, Randle doesn't rank in the top 50 this season for three-point percentage.
Currently, the New York Knicks sit in 6th place in a stacked Eastern Conference. With their season on hold until after the All-Star break, Randle will look to catch fire from beyond the arc and carry the momentum into the second half of the season.
Why does Julius Randle want to play on LeBron's team in All-Star
Between the three-point contest and being an All-Star reserve, Julius Randle will have quite the busy weekend. With that being said, there’s no way of knowing whether Randle will land on Team LeBron or Team Giannis for the highly-anticipated showdown.
As a result of the new All-Star draft format, the teams for the contest won’t be determined until the day of the game. Although that may leave little time for trades between the two teams, Randle knows where he wants to go.
Leading up to All-Star weekend, he spoke with reporters where he stated that if it were up to him, he’d like to be on Team LeBron. With the NBA legend in the twilight years of his career, Randle knows that he may not get the chance to share a jersey with James again. Although King James has shown no indication that he’s retiring quite yet, Randle missed the All-Star selections for last year.
While he’s looked great this season, he knows the stars aligning for him and LeBron James to play against one another may not happen again. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how things play out this weekend.