
Derrick Rose will defend his championship in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge at All-Star weekend, but will have to beat two former champions and one of the league's top rookies to retain the title.
The field is set, and will feature Deron WIlliams, Steve Nash, and Brandon Jennings. Nash won it back in 2005, and WIlliams was the champ in 2008. But neither finished his final round with as much flair as Rose did a season ago.
The announcers always comment on how "nonchalant" the players look in this event, and sure, maybe they're not exactly giving 110 percent. But you don't want to go too fast, otherwise you risk pulling a "2008 Dwyane Wade." Wade, as you may recall, committed the first (and only) turnover in the event's brief history.
With Rose, Nash, and Williams all having experienced victory, the wild card here is Brandon Jennings. Jennings has the quickness to potentially get through the course the fastest, but we'll have to wait and see whether or not his inexperience will have any impact on how he finishes.
If Jennings does beat the three former champions, he'll become just the second rookie to win it -- Rose was the first to do so in 2009.




