Washington Wizards: Will Davis Bertans win the three-point contest?

Second Time Around

Joe Harris

All rise for the reigning three-point contest champion!!

A late addition to last year’s contest, Joe Harris came in and shocked the world with one of the most impressive three-point shooting displays we’ve ever seen during All-Star Weekend.

And he hasn’t slowed down any since.

Harris is in the middle of his second season as a full-time starter for the Brooklyn Nets and has been a huge reason why they’re still in the thick of the playoff hunt without Kevin Durant. And they’re usually without Kyrie Irving, too, who has appeared in just 20 games this season.

Harris has played, and started, in all but one of their 53 games thus far. And he’s putting up some of the best numbers of his six-year career.

This season, the Nets’ three-point specialist is posting a career-high 13.8 points per game and shooting 40.8 percent from behind the three-point line. This is his third straight season with a three-point shooting percentage above 40 percent.

As the reigning champ, Harris shouldn’t be taken lightly. He might not be one of the most impressive players in the contest. Only Duncan Robinson averages fewer points per game among this year’s participants. But he is one of the more impressive shooters. And until someone knocks him off the throne, he’s still the champ.

Buddy Hield

Only one player in this year’s three-point contest has already made more than 200 three-pointers this season. That player is Buddy Hield.

Hield’s no stranger to the three-point contest. Although he didn’t win, he did compete in 2019, and he didn’t disappoint. Even in a losing effort, Hield put up on of the highest-scoring rounds in three-point contest history. He’s more than capable of doing it again this time around.

Although he’s recently moved to the bench, a change that has Hield thinking about getting out of Sacramento (again), nobody in this year’s contest is getting as many in-game reps as Hield. Hield leads the field in three-pointers attempted this season, and averages just a shade under ten attempts per game (9.9).

Now, grabbing balls off the rack is totally different than anything these guys do during legit NBA action, but Buddy is no stranger to the shootout. So he shouldn’t struggle to adjust there. And he’ll be looking to avenge his loss last season. Folks, get your popcorn.