NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest 2013: Highlights, breakdown of every contestant

Western Conference

Jeremy Evans, Utah Jazz
Stats: 5.4 MPG, 1.4 PPG, 1.2 RPG

Evans is the defending champion of the Slam Dunk Contest having won it last year in Orlando, Fla. It wasn’t the most impressive performance from him last year and he kind of won by default since there wasn’t a lot of competition. Evans isn’t a great basketball player and really just made to do one thing on the court and that is dunk. He has a kind of wild personality and will likely rely on props or other things with his dunks.

Eric Bledsoe, Los Angeles Clippers
Stats: 21.8 MPG, 9.6 PPG, 3.1 APG

Bledsoe is getting a reputation as one of the best athletes in the entire league. He resembles a football player more than anything and may have a little Nate Robinson in his dunking tonight. Expect a lot of alley-opp style dunks for Bledsoe to try and pull off. Don’t be surprised if Cliff Paul gets involved with one of his dunks either.

Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets
Stats: 29.4 MPG, 12.3 PPG, 9.7 RPG

Faried is probably the best player in this contest for whatever that’s worth. He’s fresh off an 40-point MVP performance in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge as well. Nicknamed “The Manimal” Faried will use force and gorilla slams more than anyone in this contest. He doesn’t elevate quite as well as some of the other contestants but is a good finisher of dunks. His compact body may make some of his dunks appear less impressive because he won’t have the same extension ability as some of the other contestants.