Getty Obi Toppin asks why Ja Morant can't be in the dunk contest.
The New York Knicks have a lot of athleticism on the roster between Obi Toppin and Jericho Sims, and Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has caught wind of that.
Morant wants to see Sims compete in the dunk contest in February, and made a call for it to happen on Twitter.
Toppin, last year’s winner, turned the question around on Morant and asked if fans are going to be seeing him compete this year.
“Why can’t we get you too?” he asked Morant.
Ever since his failed dunk attempt on Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, Morant has become known for him posters, whether he makes the basket or not. Morant would be one of the most high-profile stars to appear in the contest in several years, so he could definitely help breathe some excitement into it again.
Toppin Unlikely to Defend Title
While Toppin is the reigning champion, he most likely won’t be suiting up to defend his title because of his knee injury. He just saw his first game action in over a month in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, so he’ll likely work his way back into game shape instead of preparing for an exhibition match.
With him out of the picture, it would give Sims the chance to step up and defend the title for him. The next best thing would be seeing a different Knick come away with the title if Toppin can’t do it.
Sims hasn’t spoken about whether or not he’d be open to performing, and it’s not known if the league has asked him to compete. What is known is this is a very high-flying player who is capable of putting players on a poster any given night.
He’d also fit the bill of lesser-known players competing, but putting on a good show could potentially make him more well known outside of just New York.
For what it’s worth, Sims is having a solid year while averaging 3.6 points per game to go along with 4.2 rebounds. For him being a late second round pick, the fact he’s carved a role out like this is impressive no matter what way you slice it.
Dunk Contest Needs Help
Putting Morant in the competition would be huge for it because he alone would get a lot of eyeballs on it. Everybody knows Morant can dunk, but nobody knows what type of tools he has in his arsenal for a contest like this.
In recent years, the dunk contest has started to lose its luster and there are even questions about a complete overhaul. After Toppin won last year, he was asked about whether it should be moved before the three-point shootout in the future.
The issue is fans feel like they’ve seen every type of dunk the game has to offer, and although Toppin pulled off a never-before-seen feat just last year, it wasn’t enough to build hype.
Morant could bring the excitement to the game again even if he doesn’t win or do anything special. Fans want to see household names in the game, and that’s why it’s been a disappointment that LeBron James never performed in the contest despite being known for throwing down dunks himself.