Thread: NBA All-Star Saturday: Goran Dragic, Shooting, Skills, Threes, Dunks

They have changed many of the formats tonight, but the idea is still the same: showing off some of the best NBA talent in areas they excel.

For the Suns Goran Dragic, that's the overall skills competition. Dragic is one of eight players invited to participate in a skills contest that rewards speed.

Dragic will be paired with OKC second year player Reggie Jackson, who has used Russell Westbrook's injury as a catapult to show his skills to the world. The two will use a relay format to outpace their competition:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

• Team 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee; DeMar DeRozan, Toronto
• Team 2: Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia; Victor Oladipo, Orlando

WESTERN CONFERENCE

• Team 1: Trey Burke, Utah Damian Lillard, Portland
• Team 2: Goran Dragic, Phoenix; Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City

Only Dragic and DeRozan are participants with more than a couple years of NBA experience. Gone are the days when players like Steve Nash would dominate this competition amongst other NBA All-Stars.

2014 Taco Bell Skills Challenge

TWO TEAMS PER CONFERENCE -- Two teams of two players for each conference will compete in a timed obstacle course relay competition consisting of dribbling, passing, & shooting.

COMPETITION FORMAT

> Each conference will field two teams consisting of two players. Each team of two players will run the course, competing in a relay format for a single overall time.

> OPENING LAYUP/DUNK AND FINAL SHOT CHALLENGES - For the opening layup/dunk and the final shot, the player must rebound his own ball until the basket is made*.

> PASSING/SHOOTING CHALLENGES - The passing and the top of the key shooting challenges are considered completed (player can move on) when he either (1) successfully hits the target/makes the shot OR (2) exhausts the corresponding rack of balls while attempting to make the target/basket*.

> BALL HANDLING - Players must observe basic NBA ball-handling rules while completing the course.

> DISQUALIFICATION - Players are subject to disqualification for failure to complete all of the challenges as they are designed and intended to be run through (at the final discretion/judgment of the referee).

> There are no time penalty assessments on the course.

> INSTANT REPLAY -- At the discretion of the referee, television instant replay may be consulted for clarification of rules compliance.

*See Skills Challenge "Flow of Play" document for more information.

TIMING

> Teams will be timed on a clock starting at 00:00.0 and counting up. The clock will be stopped when the final shot is made by the second player on the team. (Start and Stop is on referee's whistle)

FIRST ROUND

> The two Eastern Conference teams will compete first, followed by the two West teams.

> The East team with the fastest time advances to the Championship Round.

> The West team with the fastest time advances to the Championship Round.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

> The fastest East team and fastest West team from the First Round will compete to determine the competition champion.

> The team with the slower First Round time will go first for the Championship Round.

> The team with the fastest Championship Round time will be crowned the Skills Challenge Champions.

TIEBREAKERS

> To Advance from First Round - In the event of a tie amongst conference teams to determine the Championship Round participant, the tied teams will repeat the course.

> To Determine Champion - In the case of a tie between the two teams in the Championship Round, the tied teams will repeat the course.