The Skills Challenge this season is replaced with the return of Shooting Stars. The format is quite simple: teams will have 1:10 seconds shooting from the 7 designated spots on the floor. The highest-scoring 2 teams will advance to the final round, with the whole process being repeated again.
Take a look at the breakdown of the competing teams below.
Team Knicks (+170)
With the format of the competition, Team Knicks look to be well positioned to put in a strong performance. They feature arguably the best shooting center in the NBA at the moment in Karl-Anthony Towns. Jalen Brunson is very effective from the mid-range and they are joined by a legend in Alan Houston. He was one of the best shooters from deep in his generation and should be more than capable of doing his part. This is a well-rounded team as a whole and has the strong 3-point shooters throughout — something other teams in the contest cannot claim.
Team Cameron (+240)
Team Cameron has arguably the best shooter in the contest with Kon Knueppel in its ranks. The rookie is odds on favorite to win the 3-point contest this very same evening. In this contest, however, his team might let him down. Jalen Johnson has started this month making below 30% of his 3-point attempts. They are also joined by a veteran in Corey Maggette, who had multiple seasons in his career shooting below 30% from the arc. With him and Johnson both being far more effective attacking the rim than pulling up to shoot, it could take away the advantage that Knueppel’s shooting provides.
Team All-Star (+300)
While this team has the current All-Stars, they are not well positioned to do well here. Scottie Barnes could be one of their biggest drawbacks. He is a 30.1% shooter from deep this season. The Raptors’ star has also taken part in the skills challenge before, and at times did not seem to take the competition seriously. Chet Holmgren is supposed to be the best shooter in this team, but over the last 9 games he has made just 17.2% of his 3-point attempts. With Richard Hamilton not being known for floor-spacing ability during his career, Team All-Star could struggle most from the highest scoring ranges in this contest.
Team Harper (+400)
Both of the Harper brothers have been off from deep this season, with neither cracking the 26% mark. Considering that this is a shooting competition, that’s not a good start. Ron Harper Sr. is not someone who will be able to bail them out, either, struggling from the arc throughout his career. He has also been the longest retired player of all of the veterans in this competition, too. It is hard to see who on this team will be stepping up to carry them.
NBA All-Star Skills Challenge best bet: Team Knicks
As mentioned, Team Knicks is the most well-rounded group when it comes to scoring the ball and it features some of the best perimeter shooters. Against other teams that have at least 1 or 2 weak links in that category, the Knicks present the best value selection.
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