San Antonio Spurs: Davis Bertans should shoot in the Three-Point Contest

Great three-point shooters are widely celebrated by the basketball world, which makes San Antonio Spurs forward Davis Bertans the perfect pick for the Three-Point contest.

All-Star weekend is like a holiday for spectators across the globe. Once a year, fans gather to celebrate the sport they love and the athletes who put themselves on the line to compete at the highest level. With the events just over two weeks away, names have slowly began leaking out in correlation with various All-Star competitions.

Fans have patiently awaited the announcement that their teams would be represented this season, some to no avail. Unfortunately for the San Antonio Spurs, it doesn’t seem like their most distinguished sharpshooter will receive a spot in the 2019 NBA Three-Point contest.

Now in his third season in the NBA, forward Davis Bertans is hitting threes at an unprecedented rate for the most accurate three-point shooting team in the league. His 49.2 percent three-point mark leads the NBA on 187 attempts, averaging out to roughly four per game.

So I’m told Davis Bertans wanted to participate in the #NBAAllStarGame2019 3-Pt contest, but got stiffed… apparently told he didn’t shoot enough of them… weird because I swear there are at least 2 guys in the contest who doesn’t either ??‍♂️ #Spurs @TheAthleticNBA

— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) January 28, 2019

The Athletic’s Jabari Young reported that Bertans was interested in participating in the three-point contest and was rejected by the league because of a lack of attempts. Meanwhile, both Dirk Nowitzki and Seth Curry are set to lace up for the event despite shooting only 47 and 131 threes respectively.

Benefit of the doubt should be given where it’s due: Dirk is on the verge of retirement and Curry will join his brother Steph Curry in representing their hometown of Charlotte. Their selections have more to do with the course of their careers and personal notability, but it still doesn’t make sense to leave Bertans out of the mix.

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There are three vacant spots in the competition’s lineup as of now, so there’s still a chance for the Latvian Laser to join the party. Outside of the previously mentioned participants, Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers will give their best effort.

With the league’s trend toward three-point shooting this season, competition is stiff for Bertans to make the cut. While his notoriety in San Antonio is through the roof because of his improved output this season, Davis Bertans is not a household name in the NBA. Adding him to the lineup is a huge improvement for the competition itself because of his potential to breakout, but he’s not necessarily going to draw a huge crowd. Bertans doesn’t get the highest volume of shots, but he certainly knows how to make the most of his opportunities.

San Antonio was a mediocre scoring team in their 2017-18 season with shaky shooting and inconsistent playmaking. Since then, head coach Gregg Popovich has instilled a game plan based around proper spacing and complimenting stars with exquisite shooters.

Davis Bertans has been at the forefront of this offensive revelation, meriting a spot in this competition. The NBA’s decision-makers should give respect where it’s due.