2024 Kia Skills Challenge Preview
The 2024 Kia Skills Challenge is one of the marquee events of NBA All-Star Weekend. It’s an event showcasing some of the most talented players in the NBA, putting their basketball skills to the test. In this iteration of the Kia Skills Challenge, three teams of three will compete for the 2024 Kia Skills Challenge Champion title.
The 2024 Kia Skills Challenge format is that of a three-round competition, where the team with the most ‘challenge points’ by the end will be named champion.
Round 1: Team Relay
Round 2: Team Passing
Round 3: Team Shooting
After moving to a team-based competition in 2022, the team representing the host state has won the Skills Challenge each year!
2024 Kia Skills Challenge Participants
| Team Indiana | Team Top Picks | Team All-Stars |
|---|
| Tyrese Haliburton | Paolo Banchero | Scottie Barnes |
| Bennedict Mathurin | Anthony Edwards | Tyrese Maxey |
| Myles Turner | Victor Wembanyama | Trae Young |
Team Indiana has the task of representing their host state, a team that has won the last two Skills Challenges. Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, and Myles Turner are the most traditional, represented by a guard, wing, and big man.
Team Top Picks is the most unique of the competitors, starring Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero, and Victor Wembanyama. Two big men and a wing isn't the most promising combination in a skills competition, but with each player's ability, Team Top Picks can't be taken lightly.
Team All-Stars rounds out the group with a guard-heavy lineup featuring Trae Young and first-time All-Stars Tyrese Maxey and Scottie Barnes. On paper, this is a promising group that features pace, passing, and shooting. It'll be up to Barnes and Maxey to make up for their disappointing yet entertaining performance in the 2022 Skills Challenge.
WSN’s Betting Pick
Due to the quality across the board, the Skills Challenge may be the toughest to predict. Team All-Stars is a unique group that has Skills Challenge experience, as well as all-around talent in terms of passing, shooting, and dribbling. While the other teams are sure to put up a fight, Team All-Stars’ balance tips the odds in their favor.
2024 NBA 3 Point Contest Odds
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| Team | Odds |
|---|
| Damian Lillard | +475
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| Tyrese Haliburton | +550
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| Trae Young | +600
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| Malik Beasley | +600
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| Karl-Anthony Towns | +600
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| Jalen Brunson | +600
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| Lauri Markkanen | +650
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| Donovan Mitchell | +700
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2024 NBA 3-Point Contest Preview
One of the marquee events of NBA All-Star Weekend, the 3-Point Contest returns for its 38th iteration. A competition that showcases some of the best three-point shooters in the NBA, this exhibition pits those players head-to-head in a timed shootout!
The format of the 3-Point Contest is simple. Five racks of basketballs are situated around the three-point line, and players have 70 seconds to score as many as possible. Based on color, balls are worth one or two points, and the player who accumulates the most in the final round is named the winner!
The winner will gain the title of 3-Point Contest Champion, joining legends like Larry Bird and Stephen Curry.
2024 NBA 3-Point Contest Participants
| Player | Team | 3PM / 3P% | Total Threes |
|---|
| Malik Beasley | Milwaukee Bucks | 2.8 / 45.0% | 139 |
| Jalen Brunson | New York Knicks | 2.7 / 41.1% | 131 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers | 3.2 / 39.7% | 123 |
| Damian Lillard | Milwaukee Bucks | 3.0 / 34.7% | 139 |
| Lauri Markkanen | Utah Jazz | 3.3 / 40.7% | 138 |
| Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers | 3.3 / 35.8% | 132 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | 2.3 / 43.7% | 114 |
| Trae Young | Atlanta Hawks | 3.4 / 38.0% | 156 |
This year’s group of 3-Point Contest participants is an eclectic group. New blood like Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, and Tyrese Haliburton aim to make their mark. At the same time, former champions Damian Lillard and Karl-Anthony Towns aim to establish themselves among the best shooters in NBA history.
Last year’s winner was Damian Lillard, who won his title with the Portland Trail Blazers by earning 26 of a possible 40 points in the Final Round. He gets a shot at another 3-Point Contest title on Saturday night, but the competition is fierce.
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WSN’s Betting Pick
When you think of excellent three-point shooters, most likely guards are pictured. However, Karl-Anthony Towns has flipped the script and proven to be one of the league’s best shooters at over seven feet tall. He’s already won one 3-Point contest, is the second most efficient shooter in the pool, and is bolstered by a recent All-Star selection. Keep an eye on Towns in this competition.
2024 NBA All-Star Dunk Contest Odds
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| Dunker | Odds |
|---|
| Mac McClung | -150
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| Jaylen Brown | +300
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| Jacob Toppin | +380
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| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | +500
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2024 NBA All-Star Dunk Contest Preview
The showcase event of NBA All-Star Saturday night, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, is back! Four players will compete for the title of 2024 Slam Dunk Contest Champion.
This year’s contest is a two-round competition, where five judges will rank dunks on a scale of six to ten, with a max combined score of 50. The top two dunkers of the first round will compete in the final round, where the leading scoring participant will be named champion.
2024 NBA All-Star Dunk Contest Participants
| Player | Team | Dunks |
|---|
| Mac McClung | Osceola Magic (G-League) | n/a |
| Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | 58 |
| Jacob Toppin | New York Knicks | 0 |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | Miami Heat | 22 |
Mac McClung returns to the NBA Slam Dunk Contest after winning the competition in 2023. After posting three perfect 50-score dunks, he earned the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest Champion title. This year, he'll be required to top his last performance while being the first Slam Dunk Contest participant to represent an NBA G-League team.
Jaylen Brown is the participant with the most NBA experience, but he's admitted it's his first time in any official dunk contest. Brown's in-game dunks, one of the league's high-fliers, have been competition-worthy for years. He's a top contender for the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest crown.
Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jacob Toppin are rounding out the group. Jaquez Jr. is known for his high-school dunk accomplishments, along with tying for the fifth-best vertical leap in his draft combine class. Jacob Toppin follows in the footsteps of his Slam Dunk Contest participant brother Obi, showing off a similar amount of creativity in the air.
WSN’s Betting Pick
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is the marquee event of All-Star Saturday night. When the action tips off, Mac McClung is the man to beat. Famed for his high-flying antics, his NBA-level rivals are the underdogs with him on the court. With Slam Dunk Contest experience and boundless creativity, McClung is our pick to win the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest!
How to Watch the 2024 NBA All-Star Saturday
Event: NBA All-Star Saturday Night
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Date: 8:00 PM EST, Saturday, February 17, 2024
TV: TNT
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