NBA All-Star Weekend Betting – Will Shannon Brown Win Slam Dunk Competition?

Let’s be honest about the Slam Dunk contest this year, guys. Does anybody really care anymore? Undoubtedly I watch this event every year in the hopes of reliving a show like Dominique-MJ in 1988 or the culmination of dunking perfection by Vince Carter in 2000. Yet for the past ten years, things just haven’t been that interesting.

Part of me feels like we’ve seen it all before. The other part just feels short changed that we’re not seeing the best of the best in the competition.

LeBron would’ve made this the event of the evening, and while the slam dunk competition maintains its marquee status, you simply can’t say the same about the competitors.

Two time defending dunk champion Nate Robinson will try to defend his title against Shannon Brown (Lakers), Gerald Wallace (Bobcats) and the winner of the dunk-off. So let’s break this down from underdog to favorite and see which one of these guys is going to blow our socks off.

Eric Gordon +900
Gordon has the height and hops to really shock some people. But if you’ve seen any Clippers games, Gordon doesn’t really dunk all that much. At just 6-foot-3 and built like a pit bull, Gordon has the strength to really put down some rim shakers but does he have the style to really make the judges drool? I’m agreeing with the oddsmakers here. He won’t get past DeRozan in the dunk-off.

Still, if you need a reason to get excited about Gordon as the heavy dog in the fight, watch him from his days in Indiana.

DeMar DeRozan +550
DeRozan has essentially turned in to the next coming of Gerald Green, opening up with trash talk and focusing entirely on his contributions to the 2010 All-Star Weekend in Dallas, Texas. The ninth overall pick in the 2009 draft was strictly chosen by the Toronto Raptors for his athletic ability, and as a backup he’s averaged just 8.3 points and 3.0 rebounds a game. His poor production is what made him a snub in the Rookie Challenge.

Backhanded by the officials who selected the rookies to compete in All-Star weekend will only spur DeRozan to put himself in the spotlight. This guy is a freak of nature when it comes to jumping out of the gym, and he’s already made several highlight reels with his spectacular finishes in games.

Yet what’s going to hurt DeRozan is the dunk off against Gordon. He’ll have to flash just enough to impress the judges, while reserving enough in his repertoire to steal the show. If DeRozan was competing straight up without having to dip in to his arsenal early on against Gordon, he’d be a major underdog. At 6-foot-7 and with blood thirsty revenge on his mind, DeRozan is the best dark horse bet of the night.

Gerald Wallace +300
The only thing that could grant Wallace a look in slam dunk betting is that he supposedly has a “double dunk” that we haven’t seen. Yep – he can apparently dunk the ball twice in one jump by scooping the ball a second time before he comes back down to the ground. Still, what’s not impressive about the Bobcat in this type of venue is that Wallace simply looks taller than his 6-foot-7 frame would indicate and in previous dunk contests he’s failed to have that “wow” factor. He’s too long and a recent hamstring injury may even force him to pull out of the competition entirely.