Mavs high-flying rookie guard Dennis Smith Jr. had arguably the best dunk in Saturday night’s dunk contest, but he didn’t even make it to the finals.
Smith Jr. scored the night’s first 50 with a between-the-legs, 360 dunk – not the first of its kind, but nonetheless a piece of artistry that many thought was the best of the night.
His first dunk of the evening was a somewhat underwhelming double-pump reverse that was scored just a 39
The two dunks totaled an 89 for Smith in the first round, which wouldn’t be enough to advance to the finals. Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (98) and Cleveland’s Larry Nance Jr. (93) squared off for the championship, with Mitchell taking the trophy.
Some people argued Smith should’ve won because he had the best dunk. This SB Nation writer gave Smith two of the top four dunks on the night in a ranking of all 12 dunks.
By default, you should disagree with most things Skip Bayless says. But it's hard to argue with his tweet from Saturday night calling Smith the "best dunker in this competition."
It’s a shame, because it’s fun watching the 6-foot-3 Smith fly through the air, and it would’ve been a treat to see what else he came up with.
Check out all of the best dunks from Saturday below or here.
