The Postgame Online!!

Paul (@King24George), on behalf of #PacerNation, we could not be more proud of you for making it into the BBVA Rising Stars competition, and the 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. You’re the first Pacer to be in the Rookie/Sophomore game since Danny Granger in 2006/2007 (both years), and Jamaal Tinsley before him in 2002/2003 (both years). You’re also the first Pacer to make it into dunk contest since Fred Jones won over Jason Richardson in 2004. 

Now listen, PacerNation is calling your name. Tonight, you face the New Jersey Nets, who you’ve persistently dominated every time this season. Because the team is in a 5-game slump, I think it’s your turn to show the world what you’re made of, and to turn this team back around. You can start by showing your manhood by ridding any fear you have, and start making plays in the paint. The only thing that can stop you in the paint is you and your fear; you have to look past it to make plays like one of the best NBA dunkers and players ever, Vince Carter.

Besides stepping up to make the team better, let’s talk about the dunk contest. I know, you know, and much of the NBA fanbase knows that you have the athleticism, skills, talent, and creativity to win the contest easily. But with the new format, you have to come out with three show-stopping, never-before-seen-in-the-NBA dunks that will put the audience on their feet, and the fans/judges on their asses. 

A History Lesson

In 2000, Vince Carter said before the dunk contest that he had dunks planned that had never been seen before. When he got onto the court, Vince changed his mind, and went with dunks he thought up off the top of his head. These were still dunks no one had ever seen, and he earned near-perfect scores across the board (one 49, the rest 50’s). In an interview before the contest, even Shaq was telling Craig Sager that Vince said he was going to do a 720; a dunk NO ONE had ever seen or heard of, until Taurian Fontenette AKA The Air Up There pulled it off a few years ago. 

If history has taught us anything, it’s that replication can result in poor reception. If you pull off anything that appears “simple”, or has been seen before in the dunk contest in years past, you’re likely to receive fewer votes than if you went out and killed it with dunks that make Kenny Smith crap himself.

Now, I’m sure you’ve heard of Team Flight Brothers. They’re well-known for doing dunks that no one has EVER seen before. There are plenty of dunks that they’ve performed, which have never been seen on an NBA court (unless they’re doing them during a half-time show). Last year, before the 2011 dunk contest, TFB’s CEO, Chuck Millan, even put together a video called, “19 Dunks the NBA Has Never Seen in the Dunk Contest”, two of which were used by DeMar DeRozan last year (“East Bay Funk Remix” and “Showstopper” were Werm’s off-the-back-of-the-backboard rider [between the legs] and lob scoop reverse dunks). This video is posted below, with my selections on which dunks would be prime choices.

I know you already have a very sick reverse 360 rider dunk that was featured on Twitter, and this “Open Gym Dunkfest” video from your time at Fresno State show that you can definitely pull off any dunk you try. So here’s your chance to try any dunk. With the new format of the dunk contest, you’ll have to pull out three of the craziest dunks you could ever try, in hopes of defeating the hype that will be surrounding Iman Shumpert and Jeremy Lin. I’m trying to prove the point that, without a phenomenal, overwhelming performance, you may not be able to win on any dunk you do, thanks to the nation’s current state of “Linsanity”.

So take my advice and study a collection of these dunks. Practice them all, then walk into the Amway Center with a repertoire that YOU get to pick from, based on each of the other contestants’ performances. I also have a few other suggestions, without proper visual aid, but I’ll leave those for the end. Until then, here is the “19 Dunks” video from TeamFlightBrothers, from which I will be referencing:

1. Special FX’s “360 Behind-the-Back” — 0:14
2. Young Hollywood’s “Out-the-Hand Windmill Elbow” — 0:56 (you could even turn this into a between-the-legs)
3. Golden Child’s “360 Eastbay” — 1:09 (this is the ‘right’ way, but your version would be a winner also)
4. JusFly’s “Under Both Legs” — 1:18 (the fans would go insane)
5. Werm’s “Eastbay over 4” — 1:57 (get the other three contestants and Jeremy Lin for full effectiveness of this dunk)
6. JusFly performing TDub’s “Dubble Up” (out-of-hand eastbay over player) — 2:58 (there are a few renditions/versions/upgrades of this dunk, check below)
7. TDub’s “540 Reverse Windmill” — 3:20 (any spin dunk more than a 360 would be incredible for the dunk contest)
8. JusFly’s “Cartwheel” — 3:48 (the video shows Justin cartwheeling with an eastbay, but if the cartwheel is executed properly, you can add a windmill, under both legs, any ‘dunk contest’ dunk with it)
9. JusFly’s “Under Both Legs Dubble Up” — 4:00 (one of the aforementioned “upgrades” to TDub’s Dubble Up, this one might be the craziest dunk performable)
10. TDub’s “Dubble Up X” — 4:13 (also an insane Dubble Up remix, this out-the-hand double-pump reverse over a player would be kill the competition)

These are the top 10 dunks (in no particular order) from that video that I would suggest preparing with. If you completed any 3 of these 10, you’ll be earning 50’s across the board and holding a dunk contest trophy. There are also two other unseen dunks you could perform, described below in text form:

1. 360 Elbow — an off-hand reverse 360, vintage Vince Carter-style, ending with your elbow in the rim.
2. 720 dunk — yeh, if you can do it, DO IT! Some NBA/basketball fans haven’t even seen the one 720 dunk that has ever been performed, so bust this one out during the contest, and you’re bound to get a lot of respect (except from those who will say it wasn’t a “full 720”, but don’t listen to the haters)

Paul, I have a few tips for you as well. For starters, if you’re going to jump over ANYONE for ANY dunks (especially any of the “Dubble Ups”), make sure they’re not taller than you. For example, don’t pull All-Star Pacers center Roy Hibbert onto the court to prove you can jump over him. Jump over Jeremy Lin or Lance Stephenson or any player sitting on the sideline. Hell, I live in Orlando, bring me to the game and jump over me! I can be a great dunk coach.

Also, go into every dunk with confidence and superiority. Make the dunks on your first try. If you’re having issues with one dunk, try a different one you know will go down. Don’t settle for simple dunks; this is not the time for simple windmills or off-the-glass tomahawks. This is THE NBA slam dunk contest, you have to prove you’re the best dunker in the league. 

If you try any of the dunks I mentioned, or at least have a set of never-before-seen dunks that can WOW the crowd, I know you can kill the competition. You have all of PacerNation behind you, as well as many other well-educated dunkmeisters who know the difference between a good dunk, a bad dunk, and an absolutely exceptional dunk.

We all believe in you, and we all have faith that you can go to Orlando and destroy the dunk contest. Besides that, make sure you focus a lot of your effort and energy on helping the Pacers get out of their current slump. Take advantage of the excitement and honor of being invited to the dunk contest, and turn that into performance enhancement.

You and the Blue and Gold Menace play the New Jersey Nets tonight, a team you have dominated many times over. Use this game to show your worth for the dunk contest, and prove to the haters that you deserve to be performing in all three nights of All-Star Weekend. Prove to everyone that you can be a leader and have the talent and focus to succeed. We all believe in you, and we all look forward to seeing you kick major ass on All-Star Saturday Night. 

Good luck tonight, good luck this week, and good luck next week. Let’s walk away from the All-Star break with a dunk contest trophy, a win streak, and a mindset to keep winning and out-performing our opponents.

Have fun tonight, and go Pacers!

Sincerely, on behalf of PacerNation,
B. Tyler Margison (@imbtyler)
Postgame Online (@postgameonline)