The novelty of this 2022 “Skills Challenge” is obviously the fact that three teams of three players each now compete in shooting, passing, all-terrain relay and midfield shooting exercises.
And the least we can say is that the NBA has made life quite complicated in terms of its rules, with a ton of specificities that have made everything incomprehensible (or almost).
Darius Garland hot at the shoot
The first exercise concerns the shoot, where five “spots” are distributed on the floor. They are each worth a set number of points (5, 4, 3, 2 and 1). Each player has 30 seconds to score as many points as possible, from where they wish.
First team to compete: the “Rookie Team”, with Cade Cunningham (16), Josh Giddey (10) and Scottie Barnes (6). Between them, they have 32 points.
Then place the “Team AntetokounmBros”, with the brothers Giannis (8), Kostas (4) and Alex (8), who totaled 20 points, without necessarily shining at the level of the address.
In front of a public largely won over to its cause, it was finally “Team Cleveland” who completed this first round, with Darius Garland (24), Jarrett Allen (5) and Evan Mobley (18), who compiled 47 points and won easily this stage of shoot. Thanks to the magnificent performance of Mobley, terribly skilful, as well as that of Garland, even more burning than his rookie teammate!
After one lap, “Team Cleveland” therefore inherits 100 points for its victory.
Giannis treats to the pass
Second exercise, that of the passes, with three moving targets which must be aimed at by the three players, who all compete at the same time. Which gives us sequences with a lot of jostling, because no one can chain two passes from the same “spot” and rush to another.
As for the shoot, it is the “Rookie Team” which opens the ball, with Josh Giddey (36), Scottie Barnes (28) and Cade Cunningham (24) who accumulate 88 points.
In the process, the “Team AntetokounmBros” of the brothers Giannis (40), Kostas (24) and Alex (24) also totals 88 points!
More in difficulty with the pass, “Team Cleveland” finished last in this second round, with 70 points for Darius Garland (20), Evan Mobley (30) and Jarrett Allen (20).
Equality requires, a rather vague “tie-breaker” determined that the Antetokounmpo siblings emerged victorious, ahead of the rookies, picking up 100 points. Giannis’ passing performance also made an impression, as did Giddey’s.
The rookies make their freshness speak
Third and last exercise: a relay, the course of which is ultimately very similar to that of the old version of the “Skills Challenge”. Passes, shoots and running are on the program, the objective being to go as fast as possible.
It is once again the “Rookie Team” which begins and completes its passage in 01:18. Behind, the “Team AntetokounmBros” does not manage to do better than the time of its predecessors. Ditto for “Team Cleveland”, despite the encouragement of the room.
Consequently, it is the rookies who win this third round and who therefore win the 200 points at stake. This means that each team has won an exercise.
To conclude this competition at the limit of comprehensibility and particularly experimental, a sudden death is first organized to designate the name of the team which will accompany the “Rookie Team” in the final.
The Cavaliers are “clutches”!
And it is the “Team Cleveland” which overcomes this obstacle, thanks to a success at 3-pts from Darius Garland, in a duel with Thanasis Antetokounmpo. A basket synonymous with elimination for the “Team AntetokounmBros”.
And the principle of this “real” final is to convert a shot from midfield, as quickly as possible. The “Rookie Team” achieves it in 9.9 seconds, thanks to Scottie Barnes, while the “Team Cleveland” needs only 4.4 seconds to set the sights, with Evan Mobley!
Clearly, these are here Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, therefore, who win this “Skills Challenge” 2022, in front of their audience. Closing this contest which should not be remembered. At least, positively…
