Could the Dallas Mavericks Host Their Own Dunk Contest?

With NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto in full swing, all eyes are locked into the Saturday night events. But could the Dallas Mavericks host their own dunk contest?

Now obviously this isn’t a realistic thing, but the Mavericks could quietly host their own dunk contest in Dallas that would probably bring in a decent crowd.

Throughout the season one of the knocks against the Mavericks has been the lack of athleticism the starting five has on the floor. From the front court of Nowitzki and Pachulia to even the backcourt of Williams and Matthews, the Mavericks have a pretty grounded starting unit.

It’s the bench unit in Dallas that could put on a show.

So besides J.J. Barea, who could be the contestants in the first annual Dallas Mavericks Dunk Contest?

Dwight Powell

The youngster who came over in the Rondo trade has been rough around the edges at times, but one thing is evident for sure: his athleticism. The kid can flat-out jump.

Throughout the year Mavs fans have seen glimpses of Powell’s jumping ability, but the whole world got a chance to see this leaping ability last night as he threw down a put-back dunk in the Rising Stars Challenge.

Jeremy Evans

The next contestant would be none other than 2012 Slam Dunk Contest Champion, Jeremy Evans of the then Utah Jazz.

Evans is averaging just 8.6 minutes a game as he finds himself at the end of the bench for the Mavs as he doesn’t even dress some nights. But even though he lacks the playing time, his legs still resemble ones of when he took home the title.

Here is a flashback of his dunk contest days…

Justin Anderson

The rook has had somewhat of a roller coaster season as he gets quality minutes some nights while not even dressing on other nights. The first round pick out of Virginia has many quality talents, but his athleticism is near the top.

Check out my favorite dunk of his on Serge Ibaka…

JaVale McGee

Last, but not the least, is the other former dunk contest contestant (and should have been champion), JaVale McGee.

McGee has bounced back from his injuries only to find himself providing a much-needed spark off the bench for the Mavs this season with his high-flying blocks and ferocious alley-oops. You never really know what McGee might do on the court, but one thing is for certain, the dude still can jump out of the gym.

Here is a flashback to his dunk contest days…

I would argue the Mavericks could compete with any team in a ‘team vs. team’ dunk contest. The amount of athleticism sitting on the bench of the Mavericks could put on a show. It just goes to show you that athleticism doesn’t mean everything.

Next: Dallas Mavericks Trade Deadline Roundtable

So if the Mavericks put on a contest this weekend in Dallas, who would you put your money on?