J.R. Smith Got Screwed

Reyns Gems

While the NBA has arguably the greatest All-Star game, the recent selections in the skill competitions have me fuming. 

Last year’s NBA All-Star week, highlighted by Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and the slam dunk competition brought back whispers of ‘the dunk contest being back.’  

Not exactly.

The dunk contest last year was entertaining and very creative, but not a resurrection.  

Here’s why: 

The current NBA dunk contests are not worthy of all-time greats UNTIL the real stars of the league participate in them. 

Michael Jordan vs. Dominique Wilkens will not be touched until Kobe and Lebron decide to check their egos at the door and give the fans what they really want to see. That, yes, would probably top Jordan and Wilkens.  But as long as the NBA continues to select big men (sorry Dwight), average stars, and bench warmers with great hops I’m not impressed. 

Keep the judging squad to former legends. 

Whose bright idea was it to select Kobe as a judge last year?  In no way shape or form, should a current player be allowed to judge no matter how popular. Let me guess, this year Lebron will be the ‘special guest judge.’ 

The 2009’s rookie participant, flat out stinks. 

Joining Howard, Memphis’ Rudy Gay, and New York’s Nate Robinson will be one of three rookies.

The candidates?

Milwaukee’s Joe Alexander, Portland’s Rudy Fernandez, and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook. 

I’m sorry.  

But why go and ruin a possible entertaining dunk contest with that move? Not a single one of these three rookies have proven a thing in the league yet and will get demolished by both the fans and judges in comparison to the other three participants.  Worse yet the fans are EXPECTED to select the rookie via online voting. Nothing like giving the fan’s the responsibility of selecting a top-notched pick. 

No, instead the fans should be able to nominate one player from each team, and from those 32 players one will be selected via an online vote.  

So here’s my nomination… 

J.R. Smith. 

If one Denver Nuggets fan objects, please stand up now. 

Come on, for anybody remotely following the NBA how can you possibly tell me this is not a great pick? 

J.R. can flat out fly and he could be a dark horse to win it all, even paired with the likes of Kobe and Lebron.  He’s got the talent, moxie, and confidence to pull off a great showing along with the legitimacy considering J.R. can also stroke the tri-fector (three point contest is not out of the question) and should end up being a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year.  

I know the last Nugget to make a dunk contest (Birdman) was a big-time embarrassment, but come on, give us a shot to redeem ourselves.  

Since joining the Nuggets, I’ve wondered constantly why J.R. Smith has yet to appear in a dunk contest.  

I guess I’ll keep on waiting.   

Agree or disagree? Send your ‘dark-horse’ dunk contest selection to reynoldsa5@yahoo.com and I just might mention it next week on Reyns Gems.