Can Mac McClung win his second straight AT&T Slam Dunk Contest at the 2024 State Farm All-Star Saturday Night?
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Four events will take place on the busiest night of All-Star Weekend. Who do you think will win each competition on State Farm All-Star Saturday Night (8 p.m. ET, TNT)?
steve ashburner
Domestic market crews should benefit from the extra adrenaline, extra incentive to please the crowd, and the cheers the fans inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse will do for them. Trae Young always seems to perform with sore shoulders, and I expect it to be no different here. I'd love to see Sabrina's 3-point proficiency (of course, the smaller ball has better clearance to the rim), but Curry's comfort level at this stage will carry the night. I think it is.
And I would pick Brown for the dunk contest based solely on what I saw from him in the game. (For the record, I hope I live long enough to someday see a player like Rudy Gobert stationed at the rim and running this event, taking on every attempt. )
brian martin
Riding the momentum of the home crowd, Team Pacers won the Kia Skills Challenge for the third consecutive year as the home team. Although history may suggest otherwise, I think Lillard will be the first consecutive 3-point champion in 16 years to successfully defend his title since Jason Kapono (2008, 2009). I'm calling out.
Ionescu already has one of the best performances in 3-point contest history, and if she can beat Curry head-to-head, her legend will be cemented. This AT&T slam dunk nomination is both a prediction and a hope. I hope Brown wins the dunk contest and the future All-Star competes in Saturday night's event to add even more star power to the night.
Sean Powell
Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s high school dunks have gone viral on social media and he will amaze you with his dunking skills. However, Mac McClung will be defending his title since he didn't even have the best dunk last year. still I won. In the Starry 3-point contest, Towns will regain the title he won in 2022 and prove he's still the league's best shooting big man. However, the matchup between Trae Young and Damian Lillard will likely be close.
Enter Young, Tyrese Maxey, and Scottie Barnes as Team All-Stars in the Kia Skills Challenge (although Team Pacers has home court advantage). As for Stephen vs. Sabrina, we see Curry narrowly winning a friendly shootout between men and women against Ionescu.
John Schuman
Team Pacers and Malik Beasley are the first choices, as we presume they will be the most serious about competing. Not only did Ionescu shine in his WNBA 3-point contest last year, but he also shot the ball well in the postseason, making him a must-see. It's difficult to compete against the vertical player of Mac McClung, but Jacob Toppin has also been doing well with a little bit of talent.
Michael C. Wright
The shortest man in the contest (McClung) re-enters as the AT&T Slam Dunk Champion as his jam looks more impressive. Meanwhile, the tallest man in the Kia Skills Challenge (Victor Wembanyama) has a guard-like skillset and the ability to cover a lot of ground quickly, helping his team win the top pick.
The Starry 3-point contest is where things get interesting. Tyrese Haliburton and Karl-Anthony Towns don't have to work as hard as Lillard because they don't have as much lift off the floor with their shots. So you feel less fatigued and can reset and get back to your goals faster. Curry brings the same heat from her last three fights into her matchup against a strong opponent in Sabrina Ionescu.
