The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Previewing Donovan Mitchell and the Dunk Contest field

By Jared Woodcox

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 16: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the U.S. Team dunks during the Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Game during All-Star Friday Night as part of 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend at the STAPLES Center on February 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 16: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the U.S. Team dunks during the Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Game during All-Star Friday Night as part of 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend at the STAPLES Center on February 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Dennis Smith Jr.

Team: Dallas Mavericks

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 195 lbs.

Experience: Rookie

Dennis Smith Jr. joins Donovan Mitchell as the other rookie competitor in the Dunk Contest and, boy, is he ever deserving. Few players are as explosive as Dennis Smith who’s more than capable of rising up and throwing down for some impressive jams. He’s also the smallest competitor in the field, which can sometimes be an advantage as smaller guys rocking the rims can have more of a stunning ‘wow’ factor.

In the dunk compilation below, you can see some great examples of how well he can absolutely soar to the rim:

Smith is definitely an ultra-athletic high-flyer. Some have gone as far as to consider him the favorite in tonight’s contest and he certainly has a case for that as he’s able to throw it down from what seems like impossible lengths. He’ll without a doubt be a tough opponent to outmatch.

In last night’s Rising Stars Challenge, he had a couple of nice jams, but what stood out more were his confident post-game comments where he promised that he would be putting on a show on Saturday and he essentially guaranteed he’d be making all his dunks.

That kind of confidence likely bodes well for his chances of putting together a nice performance, but only time will tell if he’ll be able to put his money where his mouth is.

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