Luke Babbitt wants in on NBA Three-Point Contest

Luke Babbitt wants in on NBA Three-Point Contest
December 31, 2012, 8:18 am
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ChrisHaynes, CSNNW.com NBA & Trail Blazer InsiderFollow @ChrisBHaynes!function(d,s,id)var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)0;if(!d.getElementById(id))js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="platform.twitter.comwidgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);(document,"script","twitter-wjs");
New York, N.Y. -- Three-pointspecialist Luke Babbitt wants in on the 2013 NBA Three-Point Shootoutin Houston, TX. The Portland Trail Blazers' forward says he's been a fanof the contest since he was a young child and says he alwaysdreamed of one day competing in it.Itwould be an honor if I was selected, Babbitt told CSNNW.com. It'ssomething that I watched growing up and it would be great if I hadthe opportunity to be a part of it.He has the support from his teammates.Mymoney would be on Luke, Nicolas Batum said. I know how good hecan shoot and I know he'll probably win it if he was in it.Hopefully, he can get picked.Atthe conclusion of practices, Trail Blazers Head Coach Terry Stottshas his perimeter players shoot five-spot three-point shoots, atotal of 25 attempts from the baseline three, the wing, and at thetop of the key. It's the same shooting drill used in the three-pointcontest and so far Babbitt is the only Trail Blazer who hasconverted 25-of-25.Babbittdoesn't get off the floor much on his three-point shot and accordingto his coach, that could be something that might help him in theevent.Hisstyle is perfect for the contest, Stotts said. He's aset-shooter and has a compact motion. He doesn't use a lot of legs,so I think he can go through and shoot the 25 balls at a comfortablepace. Obviously he's a great shooter, but I think his style ofshooting lends itself to the competition.Babbittshot 41 percent from behind the arc last season and had a slim shot atbecoming the NBA's three-point percentage champion. Going into thefinal game of the season against the Utah Jazz, Babbitt was shooting45 percent from deep and had to shoot lights-out in order to overtakeSteve Novak of the New York Knicks.Itnever happened as Babbitt hit one three-pointer out of eightattempts. He was also one three-point make short of the league'sminimum to qualify for the title. Novak ended up winning the award,shooting 47 percent.Eachyear, the league selects six contestants to participate in theshootout. There is no standard criteria to qualify for the event, butusually the top three-point percentage players and known shootingspecialist receive invites.Itwould be cool, Babbitt said. I'm sure it's a fun experience.But I'll let that kind of stuff take care of itself. It's not up tome, so I'll let it take care of itself.In22 games this season, Babbitt is shooting 35 percent from downtown.