In the first of the three main events on All Star Saturday Night, we have the infamous Skills Challenge. This has taken on a revamped format in recent years, and now consists of 4 backcourt and 4 frontcourt players. De’Aaron Fox looms as the clear favourite this year, with Trae Young and Luka Doncic narrowly behind. Veterans Mike Conley and Nikola Jokic loom as potential dark horses, whilst Magic big man Nikola Vucevic is an outsider at $13. Let’s preview this exciting event and provide our two best bets in the process.
Front Runners
This category consists of the three clear favourites to win this competition, De’Aaron Fox ($4), Trae Young ($4.50) and Luka Doncic ($5). Fox has spearheaded a resurgent Kings side this season, averaging an impressive 17 points and 7 assists. Trae Young has also come on leaps and bounds of late, averaging 17 points with 7.6 assists. Luka Doncic definitely also belongs in this tier, averaging 20 points, 7 boards, and 5.6 assists a night. Whilst I think the speed and precision of Fox gives him the edge here, the other two are still well in contention.
Contenders
This list consists of the next three men most likely to win this competition, Mike Conley ($6), Jayson Tatum ($7), and Nikola Jokic ($7.50). Conley appears to be the clear favourite in this group, enjoying another solid season and averaging 20 points and 6 assists. The shooting and speed of Tatum also has him in strong contention at $7. That said, I think Jokic may be the best value bet out of each of these 3 men. The Nuggets big man is putting up ridiculous averages of 20.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 7.7 assists this season, with the 3-point shot being his only achilles heel.
Outsiders
As the two real outsiders for this competition, we’ve got Kyle Kuzma at $10 and Nikola Vucevic at $13. Kuzma is having an impressive season in LA, averaging 19.5 points and 5.5 boards. That said, his 2.3 assists and 31% from 3 mean he could struggle in this competition. Vucevic looks like significantly better value of the two, shooting 38% from 3 and averaging 4 assists per night. Combine that with averages of 20.5 points and 12.1 boards and you can see why the Orlando big man earned his first All-Star appearance this season.
Best Bet: De’Aaron Fox to win $4
To me, Fox is the clear favourite among this group of players. In what is primarily a speed-based competition, his elite pace and technical ability should provide him with a clear competitive advantage. He has no real offensive weaknesses to his game and should be capable of both the passing and shooting components. Given his high competitiveness and pride, I expect him to show out on a national stage and take this home.
Value Bet: Nikola Jokic to win $7.50
Should Fox not get the job done here, I think Jokic is the 2nd best value bet on the board. He is clearly the best player in this list and has the most well-rounded skillset. As arguably the best big man passer in NBA history, the passing challenges should be a piece of cake. The only real worries are his lack of pace and middling 3-point percentage. That said, I’ll take my chances with the All-Star at $7.50.