Event: Dunk Contest
Winner: Dennis Smith Jr.
This event will hopefully be the highlight of the night as a couple of unproven prospects such as Dennis Smith Jr., John Collins, Hamiduo Diallo and Miles Bridges try to put on a show for the crowd.
A few of these names might not be very well known by casual NBA fans, but be sure of one thing, these guys can all jump with the best of them. Each member of the 2019 Dunk Contest will have a few tricks up their sleeves as they use this weekend as a chance to become household names.
Collins from the Atlanta Hawks is my sleeper pick for this award. He is having a great season and has been catching lobs all year long. However, I think he will not be judged as fairly as the rest due to the fact that he is 6’10” and taller players generally do not score well in the Dunk Contest.
As a result, I am left picking North Carolina’s own, Dennis Smith as the winner. Smith recorded an NBA record-tying 48-inch verticle in his draft combine and has a flair for the dramatic. He isn’t afraid to attempt a 360 dunk in the middle of games, so I doubt he will hold anything back during this contest.