3 things to watch for during NBA All-Star Sunday festivities

3. A star-studded 3-Point Contest

Many have argued that the 3-Point Contest has overtaken the Dunk Contest as All-Star Saturday Night’s premier event and for very legitimate reasons.

In a league that continues to push the importance of perimeter excellence, more of the game’s best have become outside marksmen, which explains why more All-Stars can be found competing for this particular crown. This year is no exception.

Six All-Stars will line up alongside the 3-point racks on Sunday. In fairness, the absence of non-All-Star participants is to minimize the potential risk of spreading covid even further. That also explains why the field of participants has been downsized from eight last year in Chicago to just those six.

That being said, all six are worthy participants. Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley (a replacement for the injured Devin Booker) and Zach LaVine are all doing their best work from beyond the arc this season with increased volume and career-high efficiency. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum aren’t too far behind. And then of course there is the gold standard of shooting, Stephen Curry, trying to earn a second 3-point crown after last winning in 2015.

Winning in this contest isn’t about being the best. It’s about getting hot at the right time. Aligning your hot streak with the money ball rack has paid huge dividends in previous years. It’s anyone’s guess as to who will cash out in Atlanta.