NBA All-Star: 3-point contest gets new format and (possibly) Chicago flare

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Like much of All-Star weekend this year, the 3-point contest is getting quite a shakeup.

But before we get to that: Zach LaVine has officially been announced as a participant in the event, providing some small relief to Bulls fans worried they might not see any hometown representation over the course of the weekend.

The competition will certainly be stiff, from defending champion Joe Harris to the single most scalding hot player in the league right now in Damian Lillard. (Seriously, how many 3-point contest fields in recent memory have been this stacked?)

But LaVine, as with any of these guys, could catch fire in an instant. If he does just that and takes home the trophy, LaVine would become the first player in NBA history to win both a slam dunk contest and 3-point contest in his career. 

There’s something to watch for.

And another: That aforementioned shakeup. This season, the NBA is revamping the format of the 3-point contest — chiefly, by adding two additional shots to the competition, titled the ‘MTN Dew Zone.’

That zone will consist of two shooting spots situated in between the key and wing 3-point areas, and pushed back six feet behind the arc. They’ll feature just one ball per rack, but each made shot from those spots will count for three points instead of one. 

That moves the total number of shots for each contestant up to 27 and the total amount of possible points up to 40. Each shooter will now get 70 seconds per round to shoot, as well.

What’s more, in the diagram the league distributed illustrating the MTN Dew Zone's location, it also looks like the United Center court could be getting a bit of Chicago flare for the festivities (those green markers are the new shooting spots):

(via NBA)

That skyline display isn’t official by any means, but it would be a nice touch if it ends up happening.

Now, all that remains is to see which of these sharpshooters has the nicest touch when the lights flash on.

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