Chase Budinger Selected For 2012 Dunk Contest

http://www.nba.com/rockets/video/2012/02/16/BudingerDunksmov-2005825

The Houston Rockets’ Chase Budinger will make his All-Star debut as a participant in the 2012 Dunk Contest, the NBA announced Thursday.

He is joined by the New York Knicks’ Iman Shumpert, Minnesota’s Derrick Williams, and Indiana’s Paul George.

Budinger’s inclusion is a bit of a shocker. Not because “Air Bud” can’t jump; the former Arizona Wildcat has a reported 40-inch vertical leap and finished runner-up in the 2006 McDonald’s All-American Dunk Contest.

He was even voted the best high school volleyball player in the nation as a senior.

But Budinger isn’t known for his creative, highlight-reel certified slams. Despite the occasional alley-oop or fastbreak opportunity, he spends the majority of his time drifting around the perimeter, where he shoots over 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Apparently, the selection committee chose perceived reputation over actual in-game results. High-flying teammates Terrence Williams and Chandler Parsons, although lesser known in NBA circles, each have a more proficient resume of above the rim highlights than Budinger.

Regardless, this is a great accomplishment for the resurgent Budinger in his still-fresh professional career. The starless field is young and unproven; the competition is completely wide-open without 2011 winner Blake Griffin.

Perhaps Budinger will surprise. But the real player to watch is Williams, the second pick in the 2012 draft and a rising NBA superstar. With his deadly combination of power and leaping ability, he will run away with the competition.