Germantas Kneita
The NBA Skills Contest has been a staple of All-Star Saturday but has undergone several format changes. What used to be a an individual competition turned into a team contest back in the 2021-2022 season. Now after a couple of years of trios competing, the contest will see 4 fairs compete in the usual shooting, passing and dribbling contests. Take a look at my breakdown for those competing below and who I am picking to come out on top.
Team Cavaliers (+200)
The Cleveland Cavaliers duo will feature Evan Mobley, a past winner of the Skills challenge along with his superstar teammate Donovan Mitchell. The pair are both well rounded and should do well in the relay part of this challenge. However, shooting could be an issue, with neither player making over 32% percent of their 3-point attempts in February. Both are good passers for their positions however and should be one of the contenders to dominate that part of the course. Overall, this is a very skilled pair that has had the most success this season and has been rightly favored by the sportsbooks.
Team Spurs (+220)
Team Spurs have the only natural point guard competing in this competition, with Chris Paul taking to the floor. While he will likely do well at the passing portion of this competition, he is 39-years old. That could hinder him in the relay portion of the event. Teaming up with him will be Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs superstar can certainly do it all, but that might not necessarily translate in the skills challenge. He has started February struggling to shoot the ball, making just 30% of his 3-point attempts. The Spurs star is also by far the tallest participant which could impact the dribbling and passing portions of the course.
Team Warriors (+230)
Team Warriors will be looking to bring it home in front of their home crowd. They team features one of the best passers in the competition with Draymond Green taking to the floor. The forward is fairly versatile and even though he has had troubles knocking down shots, he has the skill set to thrive in the relay part of the competition. He is paired with Moses Moody, a young guard who can be effective from beyond the arc, although he too has not been efficient so far in February. He should however be one of the fastest players on the floor which could help propel his team in the relay aspect of the competition.
Team Rooks (+430)
The rookies will be up against it tonight. Neither Alex Sarr or Zaccharie Risacher have excelled as shooters so far this season, both making under 32% of their 3-point attempts. Neither has excelled as a passers either, with the pair combining for under 4 assists per game this season. Not having a guard on the team should prove detrimental since they are the ones that most often excel at the shooting and passing elements. It is worth noting that both will be very active during this weekend, participating in Fridays rising star game and potentially making it though to Sundays game too. With everything they have going on, they do not look to be a great pick for this.
Best bet: Team Warriors
Looking at all of the participants on All-Star Saturday, this might be the best shot for the home fans to see one of their own win. Green is one of the most versatile players in the league and while he can have issues shooting the ball, Moody is capable enough to pick up the slack. Speaking of the Warriors guard, this might be one of the few opportunities in his career to take part in the All-Star weekend so expect maximum effort from him here. That can go a long way in the skills contest. With the crowd behind them, I think Team Warriors bring it home.
