| By Tony Mejia |
| What is it? Six contestants have a minute to shoot 3-pointers from five different spots on the floor: each corner, both wings and the top of the key. The final ball in a rack, known as the money ball, is worth two points, while all others are worth one. The object is to rack up the highest score possible and advance. |
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| Jason Kapono ties the all-time record with 25 points (Larry Bird -- 1986) in the final round and becomes a repeat champion. (AP) |
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| What it is: It has become the premier event of All-Star Saturday night; the allure of watching guys get on hot streaks and drop in a bunch of makes in succession has replaced the shock value in a dunk. This year, it's even better given the big names that have signed up to compete. |
| Not-so-green Hornet: Peja Stojakovic is the last individual to win consecutive titles and if he single-handedly keeps Jason Kapono from achieving that feat, he'll join Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only three-time winners. Stojakovic's back is feeling great and his consistent stroke has played a pivotal role in the Hornets' rise. He'll have the advantage of shooting in a building he spends most of his time in, not to mention a partisan crowd cheering him on. |
| Not so money -- and we know it: Richard Hamilton is shooting the highest percentage of his career, both from the field and 3-point stroke, but this event should prove to be too much for him. Even though he's a pure shooter, he's still not used to shooting from this distance 25 consecutive times, which figures to take its toll. |
| Earning his way in: Kapono has gone from sitting on the bench through most of Miami's championship run in 2006 to becoming the league's top marksman in consecutive seasons. He's the only player currently above 50 percent in 3-point shooting this season. He made the league look good for inviting him last year by winning the Shootout. |
| Should've invited this guy, too: Sacramento's Kevin Martin is the answer most people would give you, but give me Memphis' Juan Carlos Navarro all day long. Remember when Damon Jones proclaimed himself the world's best shooter? Navarro can make that claim and get very few laughs. |
| Little guys, big shots: Steve Nash and Daniel Gibson are the two smallest guys in this competition, but it wouldn't be surprising at all to see them wind up in the final pairing. Most people would tell you their legs are going to go because of their lack of size, but there's not two better rhythm shooters in the league than Nash and Gibson. With no one guarding them, I'm going to go ahead and guarantee one of them makes the finals. |
| Who wins: Give me Boobie. Just a hunch. If the league listens to me and plugs in Navarro, I'll look like even more of a genius. |
| How'd I do with last year's pick? I sipped Gilbert Arenas' Kool-Aid and rode him all the way to the final round, where Kapono wound up being just too much. |
| Viewer recommendation: Whether Kobe is in it or not, you won't find bigger names than the ones in this competition -- until Sunday, that is. The 3-point contest was already exciting; when you throw in the caliber of shooters the NBA has rounded up, it makes for All-Star Saturday night's can't-miss event. |
