After thrilling us for about a third of a season, the clear cut choice for rookie of the year, Blake Griffin, will be participating in this year's slam dunk contest. The past few years have not been kind to the once prestigious event as lackluster talent and poor performances have doomed the contest (when you get over 10 chances in the final round to finish a dunk the excitement and wow factor diminishes - I'm lookin' at you, Nasty Nate). But finally, after years of fans, analysts, and fellow players alike salivating over the possibility of LeBron James' majestic athleticism and superhuman behemoth slams being able to add new twists to classic dunks, the next best thing, or perhaps even something better has arrived as the savior to the modern dunk contest. In a mere 34 games Griffin has showered us with highlight after highlight. Just ask the New York Knicks, namely Timofey Mozgov, as he's been posterized several times already this season.
Yet again, the rest of the field is weak with JaVale McGee (pronounced Smgee), Serge Ibaka, and Brandon Jennings, who will be just removed from an ankle injury (he isn't expected back until mid-January) and doesn't even dunk in games or warmups. Overall, you got a 7-footer, a very raw and sometimes awkward big man, and a 169 lb point guard who is not known for his athleticism and will be coming off surgery. This field is worse than the recent smack talk being exchanged between Mark Cuban (why does ESPN continue to antagonize this asshole) and Phil Jackson. I'm not sure anyone else could have been added to make this an easier competition, besides maybe Earl Boykins and Tim Duncan. And with the All-Star festivities being held in Staples this year Griffin will have the homecourt advantage, not that he wouldn't be the favorite regardless of where it was held.
As a die-hard NBA fan, I am excited to see the dunk contest moving back in the right direction because if I have to see the crappy cliche of Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard (Nate being Howard's "kryptonite" because he's small and Howard's big and Robinson wore green and Howard proclaimed himself to be "Superman" despite that being Shaq's original persona) I'd truly proclaim the event dead. Obviously, if LeBron had participated against Griffin, you could have made it a one-on-one event which would easily be must see-TV and revive this storied tradition. Besides, LeBron owes us after making us sit through "The Decision" (Steve Carell and Paul Rudd's parody at the ESPYs was hilarious) and wait all summer for his ultimate move to Miami - it would only be fair for him to take his talents to LA, on Griffin's homecourt, and prove he's the best dunker in the league. Considering this is an individual dunk, and we've seen how little LeBron cares about anyone but himself, I'm surprised he hasn't jumped at the chance to prove that he's better than everyone else yet again. Oh well, this contest proves to be the most exciting in years and offers yet another chance for Magic Johnson to proclaim "The dunk contest is back!!!!!" All in all, I expect to be mesmerized by Blake Griffin's aggressive style of dunks and fully anticipate this year's dunk contest to be "Friggin' sweet!"
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