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2023 NBA Three-Point Contest Favorites

Christopher Creveling / USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 Starry 3-Point Contest will take place at Vivint Arena on February 18th at 8 pm EST. The three-point contest this year will be star-studded as usual with Shams Charania officially announcing the participants on Tuesday. 

Jayson Tatum, Kevin Huerter, Tyler Herro, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Damian Lillard, Julius Randle and Lauri Markkanen will participate in the three-point contest on Saturday in Salt Lake City. 

Huerter, Herro, Haliburton, Markkanen and Randle are all first-time participants in the contest with the rest of the field having a range of previous experience. 

Tatum and Lillard have competed in past contests but Hield will be the only previous winner within this year’s group. Hield took home the trophy during the 2020 All-Star Weekend, besting Devin Booker and Dāvis Bertāns in the final round.

Favorites

Hield would have to be the heavy favorite based on his previous victory here in 2020. The Bahamian native has been one of the top three-point shooters in the NBA since entering the league in 2016. Hield has been shooting 42.3% from outside, ranking eleventh in the league while attempting nine three-pointers per game which is sixth in the league. The former Sooner is the most accurate from behind the arc within the top-ten shooters in terms of total volume per game. 

Tatum and Lillard could be considered favorites as well due to their previous participation. Tatum however is somewhat of a head-scratching inclusion though this year, if only for name recognition. The All-Star forward is only shooting 35.3% from three which puts him slightly below the league average of 35.9%. 

Markkanen really should be considered the dark horse of this contest. The Finnish native is the only shooter in the contest outside of Hield to be averaging above 40% from outside. Markkanen possesses a quick and short shooting stroke that should lend well to the nature of the competition. This will be Markkanen’s first All-Star selection as a reserve this year and has emerged as force in the NBA.

Omissions 

There are a number of notable omissions from the three point contest this year. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will not be participating this weekend. The “Splash Brothers” have won three contests between the duo, Curry taking home two trophies and Thompson splashing for one. 

Karl Anthony-Towns will not be in the contest to defend his title from last year. The big man has been sidelined since late November with a calf injury and hopefully will return to action after the All-Star break. 

The statistically most accurate three-point shooters in the NBA are the most notable omissions from the contest. The top-ten players with the highest three-point percentages are not in the contest. Isaiah Joe, Malcolm Brogdon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope being the most notable three of the top-ten.

These three are averaging at or around 45% from outside and it would’ve been compelling to see them be able to participate in the contest. The disclaimer here though is that these players are not attempting three-pointers with the same level of volume as a Curry or Hield level shooter. 

Stay Tuned

This should be an intriguing competition regardless with the level of star power and shooters participating in the 2023 contest. Will Hield be able to take home the crown again or will there be a new winner this year? You can tune in on Saturday to watch on TNT and see the outcome.

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