The tickling sound of balls swishing into the net and the sight of smooth shooting strokes are all expected to highlight this year’s edition of the NBA 3-point contest in Charlotte. Some of the greatest shooters of today’s generation of players and a soon-to-retire legend are all part of the competition that’s going to add flavor to the festivities in the All-Star Weekend.
As the widely accepted greatest shooter in the history of the NBA, it comes with barely any surprises that two-time league MVP Stephen Curry is the heavy favorite to win this year’s edition of the 3-point contest. Curry has been especially “lights out” from deep this season in which he is shooting 44.9 percent from behind the arc – better than his career average of 43.7 percent. Moreover, Curry has won the competition before, taking home the 3-point crown in 2015 when the event was held in Brooklyn. However, the green-eyed bandit doesn’t always take these whimsical events too seriously, which will be his undoing in this year’s edition of the NBA 3-Point Contest.
Speaking of past winners, Devin Booker is one of them. The Suns hotshot topped the field last year, meaning he is the defending champion of this event. He’s a favorite mostly in the sense that he’s won here before, so he knows how it goes and what to expect of it, but he’s also been salty from the 3-point area this season, as hes making just 32.9 percent of his shots from long range. That said, when he gets hot, he can go on a crazy streak.
Joe Harris is a sleeper because he doesn’t have a large fanbase. He doesn’t fit the profile of a typical NBA star. He also plays for the Brooklyn Nets. But on top of all those thing we just said is the fact that Harris can shoot the ball. In fact, he is third in the NBA with a 46.5 3-point shooting percentage. In one of the shooting display from behind the arc by any player this season, Harris showed how ready he is to get into war with the likes of Stephen Curry and Devin Booker in the contest by draining seven triples on eight attempts against the Toronto Raptors on the road on Feb. 11.
We know that Dirk Nowitzki is a one-time winner of the event, having took home the title way back in 2006. But Dirk is far from the hot-shooting big man we all used to watch back in his prime. This season, he’s only shooting 32.4 percent from distance – his lowest in a season since his rookie year. It would be cool to see the veteran take this one home, but don’t bet on it (although there’s some dough to be made if he pulls it off).
Writer’s Prediction
Sleeper Joe Harris wakes up and smokes the competition, taking home the 2019 NBA All Star 3-Point Contest title.
