Warriors' Toscano-Anderson joins Jalen Green, Cole Anthony, and Obi Toppin in Dunk Contest
Tuesday, news broke regarding this year's NBA Slam Dunk Contest participants. Per Shams Charania, this year's contest is expected to be headlined by rookie phenom Jalen Green, along with Cole Anthony, Obi Toppin, and Oakland’s very own Juan Toscano-Anderson.
I will admit, it is a bit jarring seeing JTA on this lineup of acclaimed leapers, but I think I speak for all of Dubnation when I say we are pulling for him.
In his tenure with the Dubs, Toscano-Anderson has been known for his role off the bench that has provided a spark plug at times on both sides of the ball. The guy is very tenacious, whether in the form of a highlight reel dunk like he had on Javale Mcgee or diving into the crowd for a loose ball.
Juan has proven that he has some serious in-game bounce. However, it will be interesting to see how it translates to the competition format. So often, we see the dunks with the most showmanship and display of athletic ability take home the crown.
Having seen what Obi Toppin did last year in the Dunk Contest and watching Jalen Green transition from posterizing boys in AAU to full-grown men in the league, I think this year's contest should be very exciting, and intriguing. The NBA is in excellent hands when it comes to the next generation of players, and I believe All-Star weekend will be symbolic of the next generation of what the NBA has in store for the future regarding player talent.
(Photo credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)