NBA Betting Online: Every basketball fan loves to watch the dunk and three-point contests during All-Star Weekend but the Taco Bell Skills Challenge is the competition that requires the most talent.
DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings, Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans, Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves will headline the 2016 Taco Bell Skills Challenge, giving the event a quartet of versatile frontcourt players in the eight-player field, the first time in the event's 14-year history that multiple non-guards are competing.
Defending champion Patrick Beverley of the Houston Rockets and fellow guards Jordan Clarkson of the Los Angeles Lakers, CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers and Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics complete the lineup for the three-round, obstacle-course competition that tests dribbling, passing, agility and three-point-shooting skills.
A head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format will be used for the second year in a row. The tournament matchups will be determined at a later date.
The Skills Challenge format calls for two players to compete simultaneously on an identical course with the fastest finisher reaching the next round. In the first round, the eight players are paired to participate in four head-to-head competitions. The four winners advance to the second round, where two more head-to-head showdowns determine the two finalists.
Taco Bell Skills Challenge Participants
Patrick Beverley (Houston Rockets)
Jordan Clarkson (Los Angeles Lakers)
DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings)
Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans)
Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
C.J. McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers)
Isaiah Thomas (Boston Celtics)
Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Cousins and Davis may be superstars in the league, but Green is the name that immediately jumps out because of what he does for the defending champion Warriors. The versatile playmaker is the Robin to Stephen Curry’s Batman and is a triple-double threat every time he takes the floor.
Green is averaging 14.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists per night as a forward and already boasts 10 triple-doubles in Golden State’s first 50 games. This is a “skills” competition, and there is very little the first-time All-Star cannot do on the court.
Elsewhere, the inclusion of Cousins, Davis and Towns stands out because the competition is usually associated with guards.
Cousins is a monster down low, but has displayed an improved mid-range shooting touch. That soft touch will be critical if he hopes to keep up with faster guards who can use their speed to go through the obstacle course quickly.
As for Davis, he possesses a versatile skill set like Green and can handle the ball, shoot, and even fill the lane in transition. Davis was a guard in high school before a growth spurt and will need to reach back to those days if he wants to compete.
There may be more prominent names in the field, but Beverley has to be considered an early favorite. He won the title last season by coming from behind against Atlanta’s Jeff Teague and Milwaukee’s Brandon Knight, thanks largely to his ability to drill his jumper on the first try.
Beverley has the experience in this event and understands what it takes to win, which will prove beneficial in such a deep field. He won’t panic if he falls behind because he already overcame early deficits in 2015, but he will need to hit hose jumpers again.
BookMaker will offer a bevy of odds and prop bets for the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto. Other than the Skills Challenge, you can gamble on the Slam Dunk Contest, the three-point competition, the Rising Stars matchup and the All-Star Game. The NBA odds to win this competition on Saturday will first available at BookMaker sportsbook.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The Taco Bell Skills Challenge is slated for Saturday, February 13, 2015, at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Air Canada Centre. The competition will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
