Anthony Morrow (3/1)
James Jones (15/4)
Kevin Love (6/1)
Mario Chalmers (4/1)
Ryan Anderson (13/4)
Kevin Durant (5/1)
Odds Taken From Bovada.lv
The three point competition is kind of the step sister to the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. It doesn’t get the same “oohs” and “ahhs” but it is far easier to bet on, because we have an actual statistical basis for making our predictions.
There are really only two things to be taken into factor that won’t show up in stats: How well the guys hit wide open shots with lots of time, and how well they adapt to the action of picking up a ball off a rack and getting into a full shooting motion — without drifting.
They seem to favor James Jones as the best, with Morrow as the second best, while Ryan Anderson is only a tad behind at 3.25:1. Durant and Love are both long shots, and Chalmers is the middle of the pack at 4/1.
Jones is a past winner, but this field isn’t that stacked, so maybe people may be inclined to think of him as a safe bet. But this competition can often just come down to who gets hot.
Ryan Anderson is my favorite this year, though. He leads the NBA in both threes attempted and threes made, and his quick release promises he won’t stumble through the racks and get pressed for time. His shot is also taylor made to a competition like this, because he is a pretty flat footed shooter, though he gets great extension and stands a legit 6’10” (notice he is about 1.5 inches taller than Love who claims to be 6’10” and is in this competition).
Durant is the best player, so a lot of people are going to bet on him, likely, but I don’t think he’s a natural three point shooter, even though he does have the range.
Morrow is a deadly shooter and has hit 43.9% of his threes over his 3+ seasons in the league. His rookie year he hit nearly 47%. He’s a lefty and is a great shooter, and will drill these wide open shots.
Still, Anderson remains my pick, and will rally with the home town crowd behind him. Anderson won’t set any records, but none of these other guys will either.
