Another year, another overhyped NBA dunk contest…right?

Well, last year offered quite a bit of excitement which was centered around superstud Blake Griffin’s entrance into the pool. We all salivated with anticipation and Griffin delivered a repertoire of crams that concluded with him (partially) jumping over (the front hood of) a car.

It’s an act that anyone with any bit of interest in the AND1 circuit has seen before, but it was the first time that such a spectacle has appeared in the mainstream that is David Stern’s league.

With that fresh in the minds of the average fan, can this year even come close to the enthusiasm that Griffin created in 2011?

Probably not.

But let’s look at this year’s participants, so that we can all think about who we want to place our money on:

Iman Shumpert

About four or five weeks ago, Shumpert was all set to make a big splash in the NBA, and more specifically, on All-Star Saturday. But then catastrophe struck. Despite starting the season with a background as a magnificent shooting guard at Georgia Tech, Shumpert did his best to make the adjustment to the point position. And, initially, he did a stand up job. But after some games that featured some high-volume shooting, poor shot selection, lackluster production from New York’s top notch players (‘Melo and Amar’e) and (perhaps, most importantly) losing results, Shumpert’s aura took a bit of a hit.

And now, of course, some fellow from Harvard is soaking up all of the attention that Shumpert should have had.

But Shumpert has good height (6’5″) and athleticism, which qualifies him for the contest. What we don’t have is much highlight material from him, and he would have extreme difficulty executing this one on All-Star Saturday Night:

Derrick Williams

This is the guy who, based on raw data and things that you can’t teach (i.e., height, athleticism, strength and skill), I would have picked first in last year’s NBA Draft. Although Williams still managed to be the #2 pick, minutes in Minnesota have been hard to come by. While it may sound funny to say that, it’s true because the Wolves are a lottery fixture and have stockpiled some talented forwards (Kevin Love, Wesley Johnson, Michael Beasley via trade to name a few) because of their unattractive records.

While Williams hasn’t tapped into his full potential on the hardwood, he has given us some highlight material. But he’ll definitely have to bring it facing the next two guys.

Chase Budinger

Chase has the makings of a well-rounded NBA contributor for years to come. Budinger has the versatility of a Brent Barry, but with a bit more strength and power. His career has gotten off to a good start, and he’s been a perfect fit on a Rockets roster with other primary scorers.

But can he ‘wow’ us in the dunk contest?

His game material has been nice, but nothing to get people up out of their seats. He’ll have to come with some serious creativity to supplement his efforts if he wants to have a chance at an upset.

Paul George

It’s only his second NBA season, but P.G. has turned the corner into a legitimate double-figure threat on a nightly basis. George even has the potential for bigger and better things, as illustrated by two games in three nights in which he posted 54 points on some great shooting (19-30 FG, 11-17 3FG). The Fresno State product has molded himself into quite the capable three-point assassin, knocking down 40% of his triples after a mediocre 29% last season.

But as good of a gunner as he’s been, he has a great shot at walking home with this year’s dunk title. George has the Dominique Wilkins build – 6’8″, 215, and yes, he can fly…

George seems to have everything in his favor heading into the event – size, athleticism, and dunk resume’ (highlight reel).  But, naturally, that doesn’t always culminate in winning the crown. 

Of course, this group of contestants are certainly below-the-radar players, but perhaps the biggest adjustment for the fans will be the new format. There will only be one round in which each participant will get three dunks, and the scoring will solely be based upon fan voting.

So, the onus will be on the players to impress early and often because there will be no second chances.

T Lamont is the owner, administrator and author of all content for Ball or Nuthin\'. Feel free to contact T Lamont with a question or comment at ballornuthin@gmail.com.  All created Ball or Nuthin' content is the sole property of T Lamont. Read more from this author