Handicapping the NBA's All-Star Skills Challenge: Can a big man win?
The Skills Challenge competition that precedes the dunk contest on All-Star weekend's Saturday night has been dominated by guards since its inception in 2003, and there's a very good reason for that. Speed is the name of this particular game, as contestants are timed as they make their way through a course that requires a combination of ball-handling, passing and shooting.
But this year's competition will be a little bit different. While there is still an array of skilled guards in the field, a group of big men that includes Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Draymond Green and Karl-Anthony Towns has been added for the very first time.
The question is, do any of them have a real shot?
The way the tournament has been set up means that at least one of them will. All of the big men are on one side of the bracket, while the guards are on the other.
The way the bracket has been set up for the Skills Challenge ensures a big man will make it to the final round. pic.twitter.com/O0u6sAuEen
— Brett Pollakoff (@BrettEP) February 12, 2016
It would still be downright shocking to see one of the bigs end up winning, for the simple fact that there's no way they'll be able to get through the course as quickly as someone like the 5-foot-9 Isaiah Thomas.
Green would appear to have the best chance of pulling the upset, but unless one of the guards stumbles with an errant pass or missed shot in the final round, the big men might entertain but won't beat the league's more diminutive players.
