The Sprite Dunk Contest has been the headline maker for many seasons, but in 2015, it’s fair to say it is the Three-Point Contest that is the more exciting event. Amidst a campaign that has showcased several all-time great shooting performances from long distance, and features two conference-leading teams that live by the three, it is the long ball showdown that will be most worth watching.
The excitement starts with Kyle Korver, the late-addition All-Star who leads the NBA in three-point field goal percentage, at a ridiculous 52.8% as well as three-pointers made (160). There are plenty of great gunners in this year’s NBA, but the revitalized Korver is in a field of his own.
And yet, Korver may not even be the most exciting shooter in the field. This year’s MVP race is defined by two players who can shoot the lights out from downtown, James Harden and Steph Curry. James Harden simply is the Houston Rockets offense, as evidenced by their strong play since Dwight Howard went down, and Steph Curry’s impact is reflected in TopBet sportsbook’s NBA odds, which continue to list the Warriors as favorites game-in and game-out, even as they play in the historically-tough Western Conference.
Not that Curry is alone. First-time All-Star Klay Thompson has also been getting it done from beyond the arc, giving the Warriors the edge for three-pointers made in the league, at 10.4 per game.
With eight shooters in the competition, you’d think the quality would drop off, but it really doesn’t. More than ever, three-point shooting is a must-have element for contenders in the NBA, and so the rest of competitors in the low-impact contest reads as who’s-who of teams in the mix for the NBA Championship.
Kyrie Irving will shoot for the Cavs, who are (for now) sitting at fourth in the East. J.J. Redick will represent the Clippers. Wesley Matthews will shoot for the Trail Blazers, and Marco Bellinelli will defend the title he won last season for the Spurs.