The field for the 2015 Sprite Slam Dunk contest has been announced. And although it lacks the star power of those Michael Jordan-Dominique Wilkins days -- or even last year, when John Wall won -- it still features some pretty impressive athletes who know how to throw down.
What can we expect when these highfliers hit the hardwood on Valentine's Day? We can't be certain of much aside from the competition's new format (see below). But we can look back at the contestants' best dunks -- from warmups, exhibitions and games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
The Greek Freak is a star on the NBA Internet for many reasons -- his nickname, his name-name, his insanely long limbs (he's 6-foot-11 with a reported 7-foot-4 wingspan) that can lead to many feats and, of course, his dunks.
This is a perfect example of the two-way terror he can be:
Antetokounmpo's athleticism also poses problems for even the most well-meaning -- and well-sized -- defenders:
But dunk competitors can't exactly stage posterizations of defenders. (Or can they? Hmmm ...)
That means Giannis' best hope might be using his legs to create a Jordan- (or Brent Barry-)esque long fly through the air, similar to this play:
Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic
Oladipo might be a second-year player toiling on a lottery-bound team, but the ex-Indiana Hoosier sure has some skills in the air.
Oladipo also boasts a small enough body (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) to throw in some mid-air tricks -- just check out this 360 dunk that sealed an upset win over the Houston Rockets in mid-January:
If all else fails, Oladipo could sneak onto the court while one of his competitors is dunking and:
Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets
The 6-foot-11 Plumlee seems to be the most controversial choice, as centers don't often appear in the competition. Will the 24-year-old be more Dwight Howard or Chris Andersen in this year's?
Time will tell -- although he certainly has shown some skills with the Nets ...
... and back in high school:
Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves
Our favorite to take the 2015 crown is LaVine, a rookie from UCLA who might be stuck in the wintry, lottery-laden wilderness of Minnesota, but who seriously heats things up when given a chance to show off his dunking ability.
We'd say more, but these images are worth well more than a thousand words:
These four newcomers will compete over two rounds, with no time limits.
Each will get two dunks in the first; the two players with the highest combined scores advance to the final round. The two finalists also will get two dunks apiece in the head-to-head round.
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