In an era dominated by a seemingly endless barrage of 3-point shooting, you could make the argument that the 3-point contest is the single most prestigious event of All-Star weekend.
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With a field going 10 deep, who will come out on top?
Will it be defending champion Devin Booker who was as hot as the Sun a year ago, putting up a record 28 points in the final round, the most ever?
Or one of the Curry brothers who hail from Charlotte? Perhaps another crowd favourite in Kemba Walker who will hoist them up in front of his home crowd? Could Raptors sharp shooter Danny Green take home the crown?
Forget overall 3-point percentage or overall made shots.
We looked at how each of the contestants have fared this season from each of the five spots on the floor where racks will be placed - both corners, both wings and the top of the key - to help uncover who will win the 3-point contest.
Left Corner
Players typically start at the left corner. In an incredibly limited sample size, Seth Curry has been lights out from here this season as he's drained 11 of 14. That makes him a good bet to get off to a hot start and put the pressure on everyone else to not fade early.
Beware of underwhelming starts from Kemba Walker and Khris Middleton, both of whom have struggled from the left corner this season.
| 3-pt FG | 3-pt FG Pct | |
| Seth Curry | 11-14 | 78.6 |
| Stephen Curry | 27-47 | 57.4 |
| Buddy Hield | 26-50 | 52.0 |
| Joe Harris | 7-15 | 46.7 |
| Devin Booker | 5-11 | 45.5 |
| Damian Lillard | 4-9 | 44.4 |
| Danny Green | 15-40 | 37.5 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 1-3 | 33.3 |
| Khris Middleton | 6-23 | 26.1 |
| Kemba Walker | 3-15 | 20.0 |
Left Wing
The undisputed best shooter in the world and perhaps all-time, the older Curry brother is shooting for his second 3-point contest championship as he won in 2015 against the likes of Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Kyle Korver and JJ Redick.
Curry does most of his damage from the left wing where he's made 75 of 147 shots this season, his most makes from beyond the arc at any of the five different spots on the floor.
Curry goes into automatic mode to win! #StateFarmSaturday http://t.co/s8pUkeH96I
— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2015
When Curry won the event in 2015, he went bananas in the final round as he made his final 13 shots and finished with 27 points, then a record for the most ever in a round since surpassed by Devin Booker.
| 3-pt FG | 3-pt FG Pct | |
| Stephen Curry | 75-147 | 51.0 |
| Joe Harris | 27-58 | 46.6 |
| Buddy Hield | 56-125 | 44.8 |
| Khris Middleton | 39-93 | 41.9 |
| Danny Green | 25-61 | 41.0 |
| Seth Curry | 12-31 | 38.7 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 6-16 | 37.5 |
| Kemba Walker | 45-121 | 37.2 |
| Damian Lillard | 54-154 | 35.1 |
| Devin Booker | 34-102 | 33.3 |
Top of the Key
The top of the key can make or break a round. It's early enough to turn the tide and overcome a sluggish start. It's also a place where momentum can get stuck in the mud.
Of our 10 shooters in this year's event, the younger of the Curry brothers is the only one that's made at least half of his attempts (granted, 19 attempts isn't exactly a big number).
| 3-pt FG | 3-pt FG Pct | |
| Seth Curry | 10-19 | 52.6 |
| Khris Middleton | 39-87 | 44.8 |
| Stephen Curry | 41-92 | 44.6 |
| Buddy Hield | 28-64 | 43.8 |
| Joe Harris | 30-75 | 40.0 |
| Damian Lillard | 47-133 | 35.3 |
| Kemba Walker | 50-148 | 33.8 |
| Devin Booker | 28-83 | 33.7 |
| Danny Green | 9-28 | 32.1 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 4-21 | 19.0 |
Right Wing
Seth Curry is apparently a marksman from everywhere. He's drained 49 percent of his threes from the right wing, the best among our group of contestants. It's the third different area in which he's been the most accurate this season.
This is also the area in which he starts hitting that at a high volume as his 27 makes from the right wing are over twice as many as he has from any of the other four areas around the three-point line.
| 3-pt FG | 3-pt FG Pct | |
| Seth Curry | 27-55 | 49.1 |
| Joe Harris | 37-80 | 46.3 |
| Buddy Hield | 53-121 | 43.8 |
| Damian Lillard | 38-92 | 41.3 |
| Danny Green | 33-83 | 39.8 |
| Stephen Curry | 57-151 | 37.7 |
| Kemba Walker | 61-164 | 37.2 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 4-11 | 36.4 |
| Khris Middleton | 26-83 | 31.3 |
| Devin Booker | 20-68 | 29.4 |
Right Corner
And finally, we make it to the final rack. The most dramatic of the spots on the floor at least in this contest, this is where the whole thing will be decided.
Perhaps fitting then that the best from this spot is Charlotte's very own All-Star Kemba Walker. Since he's hot the ball in his hands so much, he doesn't venture to the corners a whole lot. But for what it's worth, he's canned 10 of 15 shots from the right corner so if he's in it late, watch out!
Danny Green is someone worth watching as well as he's made the most corner 3s of all players in this competition.
| 3-pt FG | 3-pt FG Pct | |
| Kemba Walker | 10-15 | 66.7 |
| Joe Harris | 14-26 | 53.8 |
| Danny Green | 36-68 | 52.9 |
| Buddy Hield | 20-38 | 52.6 |
| Stephen Curry | 15-34 | 44.1 |
| Damian Lillard | 4-11 | 36.4 |
| Seth Curry | 6-17 | 35.3 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 2-6 | 33.3 |
| Khris Middleton | 6-19 | 31.6 |
| Devin Booker | 0-3 | 0.0 |
The Pick - Seth Curry
This is probably not the most popular pick.
Stephen Curry is most likely the presumed favourite with bigger names like Walker, Booker and Lillard sure to have droves of support.
But not only is Seth Curry leading the NBA in 3-point FG percentage, he's money from almost everywhere. The biggest concern would be a matter of volume as chucking 25 3s in a minute is a lot of action for someone who is among the lowest in the field in terms of total volume.
Another potential sleeper to look out for is Buddy Hield. He's hitting at least 44 percent from each of the five spots including over 50 perent from both corners. If you're looking for a potential winner from outside of the biggest crop of names, Hield is a strong play.
All statistics are though games played Tuesday, February 5
