Milwaukee Bucks: Pat Connaughton 2020 Slam Dunk Contest preview
By Adam McGee
The field
The 2020 Dunk Contest plays home to one of the most open and varied fields the event has seen in a long, long time.
Connaughton’s inclusion certainly speaks to that, but so does a mix that includes Aaron Gordon coming back for a third attempt at getting his hands on the trophy, former champion Dwight Howard returning 12 years after his win, and Derrick Jones Jr., a long, freakishly explosive athlete, getting his chance to steal the show too.
Howard’s size certainly plays to his advantage, but lacking the explosiveness he had in his prime, some Superman nostalgia, executed to perfection, may be required to get the Lakers center over the line.
Gordon famously lost out to Zach LaVine in 2016, in one of the greatest Dunk Contests of all-time, but hasn’t come all that close to winning on his subsequent invites to the event. Having shown what he can do on this stage, Gordon certainly can’t be written off, but he’ll likely need to recapture the magic of 2016 to get his hands on the trophy.
As for Jones Jr., who is currently enjoying easily the most impactful season of his career, he’ll look to make the year even better by taking home a Dunk Contest win as a present on his 23rd birthday on Saturday. In terms of bounce, and age profile, Jones Jr. is likely the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to chances of pulling off something really spectacular.