On Feb. 18, Los Angeles Lakers will have their third representative in the NBA’s three-point contest with Nick Young set to put his skills on display in New Orleans. Young will follow in the footsteps of Byron Scott and Michael Cooper who are the only other Lakers to participate in the contest.
On Thursday, the odds for the three-point contest were revealed with Young coming in near the bottom of the pack, according to Sportsbook.ag:
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors – 7/4
C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers – 5/1
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers – 5/1
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors – 13/2
Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets – 7/1
Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers – 8/1
Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks – 8/1
Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets – 10/1
Young will have his work cut out for him on All-Star Weekend with the veteran guard going up against some of the league’s elite shooters. It comes as no surprise that Thompson (7/4) is the clear favorite while McCollum, Lowry, Gordon, Matthews, Young, and Walker attempt to end his bid for a second straight title.
As of Feb. 9, Young is still shooting a high percentage from beyond the arc. The 31-year-old is currently shooting 41.3 percent from distance which is 18th in the league. Thompson is sitting behind Young this season in that category at 40.9 percent. McCollum is the leader in three-point shooting percentage among the contestants set to compete on Feb. 18 at 42.
No Lakers player has ever won the contest with Scott and Cooper both coming up short in 1987. Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird came out on top that year when both Lakers players competed.
Along with Young, Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell and rookie Brandon Ingram will be participating in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge which will take place on Fri. Feb. 17.
