The NBA H-O-R-S-E Tournament is a welcome return to basketball and a much-anticipated event featuring some of the game’s greatest shooters. The format is an eight-person knockout tournament with players from both the NBA and WNBA. Here is an evaluation of each participant in the 2020 NBA H-O-R-S-E Tournament.
Trae Young
Trae Young will be looking for a big performance here. He is tied for third in the NBA in scoring at 29.6 points per game and is known as a lethal long-range shooter. Look for Young to go to the deep ball with regularity, especially against opponents that are weaker from behind the arc. If his shot is on, Trae Young has a great chance of coming away with the win.
Chauncy Billups
Billups, a five-time NBA All-Star, is retired from professional basketball but that shouldn’t stop him from being a threat in this tournament. He is a career 39 percent shooter from deep so look for him to go to the three-pointer a healthy amount. It also should be noted that he has a very solid mid-range game and is automatic from around the free-throw line, where he shot 89 percent from in his career. Most important of all, Billups is a proven winner. He led the Pistons to multiple NBA finals and one NBA title during his career so his championship DNA could push him over the edge.
Tamika Catchings
Catchings is a legend of the women’s game. Just last week, she was chosen for the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, and she is among the best players in WNBA history. She’s the most decorated participant in the competition, with 10 All-Star appearances and one WNBA title under her belt. It must be mentioned, though, that shooting was not one of her strong suits. She shot just 41.5 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from deep during her career.
Mike Conley
Conley had a rough season with the Utah Jazz, shooting a career-low 40.5 percent from the field and he will certainly be looking for redemption in this tournament. He has historically been very reliable from downtown, shooting 38 percent for his career, and has a solid mid-range game. The biggest advantage Conley has over the competition is that he is ambidextrous. Being able to finish with either hand is a massive advantage in H-O-R-S-E, and if Conley goes up against right-handed opposition, he can score some easy points with his left hand.
Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine is a pure scorer who can finish from almost anywhere on the court, which is a valuable trait to have in H-O-R-S-E. LaVine had a monster year on the offensive end last season with Chicago, averaging a career-high in points with 25.5 (more than anyone in the competition not Trae Young). If LaVine gets hot, he is practically automatic, so he has a good shot of coming home with some hardware.
Paul Pierce
10-time All-Star and Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce is making his return to the hardwood. The current TV analyst was known for making multitudes of tough shots throughout his career, especially when they mattered most. While he’s not the best shooter percentage-wise, he could have quite a few tricks up his sleeve and is probably the most well-rounded scorer in the competition.
Chris Paul
Paul is the favorite of many to win the competition. He has the most experience of any active player in the competition and is one of three to have made the All-Star game this season. He is known most for his generational court vision and awareness, two attributes which could help him mightily in this tournament, especially in the creativity department. Expect him to attempt at least a few trick shots to catch people off guard.
Allie Quigley
Allie Quigley has the best chance of anyone in the field to match Trae Young shot-for-shot from downtown. She is a three-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA three-point contest champion who has shot over 42 percent from deep over the past two seasons. Expect her to take a similar approach to Young in shooting from very long range in order to gain an advantage on some of her weaker shooting opponents.
