Utah Jazz forward Jeremy Evans will replace Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks in Saturday’s Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend.
The NBA announced the switch Wednesday. Shumpert has tendinitis in his left knee.
The 6-9 Evans is in his second season. Of his 88 career baskets, 61 have been dunks, including 30 alley-oops.
The four-player dunk field remains all first-time participants and exclusively forwards. Evans joins Houston’s Chase Budinger, Indiana’s Paul George and Minnesota’s Derrick Williams – not exactly name recognition.
Believe it or not, Evans is the sixth member of the Jazz to enter the Slam Dunk Contest. The others are Darrell Griffith (1984, 1985), Blue Edwards (1990, 1991), David Benoit (1993), Jamie Watson (1995) and DeShawn Stevenson (2001).
He should have been in in the first place. Good decision.