TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 13: Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic dunks over Stuff the Orlando Magic mascot in the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest during NBA All-Star Weekend 2016 at Air Canada Centre on February 13, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

With two-time defending NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Zach LaVine sitting out this year’s edition, many are wondering who will fill the void in his absence?

The field this year does have the Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon — who was the runner up last-year with his amazing dunk over the Magic’s mascot — and the Los Angeles Clippers DeAndre Jordan, who offers the event a little bit of star power that it had been lacking the last few years.

Also in the field are the Indiana Pacers’ Glenn Robinson III, and Derrick Jones Jr., who until TNT announced the field I had no idea was even an NBA player (there’s a Derrick Jones in MLS I’m more familiar with, for the record). He plays for the Phoenix Suns, and apparently I should have been way more aware of his existence because he can do things like this:

Not bad, but not many casual fans know his name. Maybe they will in a few weeks in New Orleans.

About Matt Lichtenstadter

Recent Maryland graduate. I've written for many sites including World Soccer Talk, GianlucaDiMarzio.com, Testudo Times, Yahoo's Puck Daddy Blog and more. Houndstooth is still cool, at least to me. Follow me @MattsMusings1 on Twitter, e-mail me about life and potential jobs at matthewaaron9 at Yahoo dot com.