2. Which NBA player are you most disappointed is not a participant in this year’s Skills Challenge?
Menze: Tony Parker. He won the event in 2012 and would probably win it this year as well. Parker is easily one of the top-five point guards in the NBA and is by far the purest point guard in the league today. His skill set is tailor made for this competition with his ability to handle the ball, great vision for passing and terrific mid-range game.
Donoho: I’d like to see Kendall Marshall. He has been much improved with the Lakers this season. He can pass really well and more chances to see that odd looking shot would be great.
Morton: I’d love to see Isaiah Thomas in this competition. The second year guard doesn’t get nearly enough acclaim as he’s become one of the premier guards in this league, despite his low draft position and being on a bad team in Sacramento.
Perry: Kyle Lowry. He deserved to get into this All-Star weekend and I think his skillset is much more suited for this kind of competition than teammate DeMar DeRozan. There are very few point guards in the league with a better combination of ball handling/shooting/passing abilities.
Blue: Lance Stephenson. The former 2010 second round pick has shown a lot of improvement this season, and is becoming one of the most exciting players to watch in the league. A showcase of his ability in the Skills Challenge would have been a great addition.
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Coverage of tonight’s festivities will be televised on TNT starting at 8 p.m. (ET) with the Skills Challenge going down as the second event following the Shooting Stars Challenge. Click here for the Skills Challenge rosters.