Derrick Jones Jr is About to Have His Moment
Only the true basketball junkies are familiar with 2017 NBA Dunk Contest participant Derrick Jones Jr, but those that know have been waiting for this moment. It could be argued that he is in the NBA for this moment. In Jones' senior year of high school at the City of Palms Classic, he put on a performance that was better than the NBA Dunk contests at that time. So before Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine revitalized the contest last year, Jones was the great hope. It can be argued that Jones is in the NBA for this moment.
Derrick Jones High School Dunk Contest
Jones was a highly rated recruit from the Class of 2015. Obviously he is athletic, but was and is still raw. He attended UNLV last season, but after 30 games he was declared ineligible after his test score was canceled by the ACT. Jones then decided the enter the NBA Draft, and hire and agent, but he wasn't drafted. Jones has a hard road to make it, but he was able to make the Phoenix Suns roster, but being at the end of the bench in the NBA isn't secure. Jones is only 20 years old, and there's no guarantee that things will work out for him in Phoenix. So an impressive showing in the dunk contest will be a good audition for his next possible NBA job.
After last season, of course Aaron Gordon is going to be the favorite, but how can he top last season? Last season was classic, but it won't be remembered because Shaq and Tracy McGrady hate the Orlando Magic. Gordon should've won, and everyone knows it. If he didn't win then, what more can he do? Last season a lot of time, effort, and thought went into his dunks, but it didn't pay off. What's his motivation to put in the work a second time? He's really in a no-win situation because if he is able to duplicate the excitement of last season, he runs the risk of being labeled of just being a dunker, and he is more than that. Add in the fact that he's coming off an injury, and it's fair to question if he really wants to do the contest.
Aaron Gordon - 2016 Dunk Contest
With the questions about Gordon, and Jones having so much motivation, don't be surprised if Derrick Jones Jr is the 2017 NBA Slam Dunk Champion. Most people don't know who he is, so he is going to have the element of surprise. That will make his feats even more impressive. This is his moment, it's his fork in the road. It's possible that this contest will determine his future, and based off what he was doing in high school, I think he will be more than ready for the challenge.
