Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is one of favorites to win the 2021 Taco Bell Skills Challenge on Sunday. (Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire)
- The 2021 NBA Skills Challenge takes place on Sunday, March 7th prior to All-Star Game tip-off
- We have some intriguing participants, including Luka Doncic and Chris Paul against a gaggle of big men
- Get the odds, our preview for the event, and the best bet to win it the challenge below
The 2021 NBA All-Star Break is upon us, with the festivities scheduled for Sunday, March 7th at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all events will take place on a lone day, including the Slam Dunk Contest, Three-Point Competition, and, lastly, the Taco Bell Skills Challenge.
We have some stars from across the association who will flaunt their wide array of talents, with Chris Paul and Luka Doncic headlining the Skills Challenge. Joining them will be Julius Randle, Domantas Sabonis, Nikola Vucevic, and Robert Covington.
2021 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns) | +230 |
| Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) | +250 |
| Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic) | +480 |
| Julius Randle (New York Knicks) | +600 |
| Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers) | +750 |
| Robert Covington (Portland Trail Blazers) | +750 |
Odds taken March 4 at FanDuel
The Format
The Taco Bell Skills Challenge is always entertaining to watch because it’s the ultimate test of a player’s passing, dribbling, agility, and three-point shooting abilities. Like past years, it will be an obstacle course where all these skills will need to be showcased.
It’s a three-round competition with a single-elimination tournament format. Two players who will be chosen by the NBA receive a bye to the second round.
The #TacoBellSkills field at #NBAAllStar!@Holla_At_Rob33 @luka7doncic @CP3 @J30_RANDLE @Dsabonis11 @NikolaVucevic pic.twitter.com/iLQ4duIhvR
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) March 3, 2021
Sabonis finished as runner-up in 2020 to Adebayo. Doncic is competing for the second time in his young career. Orlando Magic star Vucevic will also be participating in his second Skills Challenge, while Paul will competing for the fifth time. As for Julius Randle and Robert Covington, this is their first appearance.
Paul & Doncic Heavy Favorites
By no surprise, Paul and Doncic are the frontrunners to win it all. Paul is enjoying an outstanding first season in the desert with the Phoenix Suns, helping Monty Williams’ team to a 24-11 record which is good for second place in the Western Conference.
The 11-time All-Star is averaging 16.7 points per game while also dishing out an impressive nine assists a night. From a shooting standpoint, Paul is sinking 38.5 percent of his threes and also converting at a 95.3 percent clip from the charity stripe. With a truly dynamic skillset, it’s understandable why he’s the favorite in the competition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlUe1l72HKI?feature=oembed
Doncic is once again having a fantastic campaign for the Dallas Mavericks, dropping 28.6 points per contest and also collecting nine assists. His efficiency from downtown hasn’t been great, but the Slovenian is more than capable of getting hot from long range. Doncic has hit numerous clutch threes over the last few weeks, including a dagger against Boston in late February.
He’s not the quickest player when it comes to agility, but the Mavs star can thread a pass, shoot it, and showcase his nifty handles. Doncic is also familiar with the Skills Challenge, having participated before. He could be gunning for the trophy this time around.
2020-21 NBA Playoff Odds Tracker
Vucevic, Sabonis Could Have Value
Spry forwards who can shoot it well have taken home the honors in past years, such as Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum, and Karl-Anthony Towns. With this in mind, don’t sleep on the likes of Domantas Sabonis or Nikola Vucevic.
It’s interesting to see the Pacers star with just +750 odds. After all, he did finish in second place in this competition just a year ago.
The Lithuanian is averaging a career-high 21.1 points and 5.9 assists per game this season and although he’s shooting just 32 percent from deep, Sabonis does have a respectable jumper.
🌟 Our #NBAAllStar is having an All-Star night 🌟@NikolaVucevic | #MagicTogether pic.twitter.com/UJ4fYoUcCC
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) March 4, 2021
Vucevic could be the real dark horse here. With the third-best odds at +480, he is shooting over 40 percent from downtown while also collecting a career-best 3.6 assists. Also, you can’t forget the 24.6 points per night. Vucci lost to Nikola Jokic in the first round of the 2019 competition, but expect him to go a lot deeper this time around.
Best Bet
This will likely be Chris Paul’s last time in this competition. Five times is a lot and for a player of his caliber to not win it yet, it only seems fitting he takes it home this time around. I do believe it’s fair to have CP3 as the favorite considering the type of year he’s having.
Although it’s been agile bigs winning the Skills Challenge in recent years, you’re going to see Paul break that streak and be the first guard to win it since Patrick Beverley in 2015.
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT ’17). He writes about European Football, Basketball, and Baseball for numerous sites across the globe.