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

2. Can this Dunk Contest give us anything?

Chicago was treated to quite the dunk-off last year when Derrick Jones Jr. ultimately won out in a controversial final duel with Aaron Gordon. This year, however, it’s difficult to predict where the theatrics will come from.

For starters, the pool of participants has been widdled down to three instead of its traditional quartet. And the three who will be competing haven’t exactly established a reputation in the NBA that lets casual fans know what they could be in for.

Obi Toppin is not even the best rookie on his own team. Anfernee Simons has only recently begun to carve out a spot in the Portland Trail Blazers’ rotation due to injury to CJ McCollum. Cassius Stanley has made just eight appearances in his first pro season.

Together, they’ve played fewer than 1,000 combined minutes this season with just 20 dunks between them. None of those slams even belong to Stanley.

This doesn’t mean any of them are undeserving candidates. One of Toppin’s biggest selling points coming out of Dayton was his high-flying abilities. A quick YouTube search shows some pretty impressive jams from Simons and Stanley outside the NBA hardwood.

But without much of a foundation to stand on, the challenge of creating a memorable Dunk Contest might be steeper than it’s ever been.