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Jericho Fly: Does Knicks Big Man Sims Have a Chance For Slam Dunk Contest?

A grassroots campaign to get the New York Knicks' reserve center to Salt Lake City appears to be underway.

Geoff Magliocchetti

The New York Knicks are having a little trouble getting votes for their All-Star nominations. It appears, however, that some superdelegates are ready to lend some support. 

Reserve center Jericho Sims is far removed from the traditional All-Star conversation, having fallen in and out of head coach Tom Thibodeau's rotations all season. Solid minutes have come off the bench (4.2 rebounds, 3.6 points over an average of 12.3 minutes in 32 games) but Sims has had the dreaded "DNP-CD" initials in his box score in each of the last three games, which have coincided with the return of Obi Toppin from injury.

Sims, however, is getting support to partake in the upcoming All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, where Knicks past and present have held a formidable prescience: Toppin is the most recent winner of the annual showcase, joining Kenny Walker and three-time champion Nate Robinson. 

It's perhaps no surprise to see Sims, 24, gain support for inclusion: 59 percent of his field goal attempts this season have come via dunk and he has been a frequent target for in-game alley-oops. But Sims earned two major endorsements, one from New York and another from abroad, this week as the Knicks (24-19) try to build ground between themselves and Play-In Tournament territory. 

Earlier this week, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant personally campaigned for Sims when replying to a Bleacher Report tweet that declared Houston's Kenyon Martin Jr. would be partaking along with Portland rookie Shaedon Sharpe. Sims addressed the superstar's support prior to Friday's victorious visit to Washington.

“I thought it was pretty cool that he wanted to see me in it," Sims said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. "It’s funny because he could obviously get in there if he wants to.”  

Domestic support came from starter Quentin Grimes, who shared a slow-motion video of Sims' massive leap, taken while New York was preparing to battle the Wizards on the campus of Georgetown University. 

The 2023 Slam Dunk Contest will be held on Feb. 18 in Salt Lake City, one day before the NBA All-Star Game hosted by the Utah Jazz. In addition to Martin and Sharpe, the contest is set to welcome its first-ever NBA G League participant, as Mac McClung will represent the Philadelphia-affiliated Delaware Blue Coats. 

In the meantime, Sims and the Knicks return to action on Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Pistons (1 p.m. ET, MSG). 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks

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