You won’t ever see Phoenix Suns swingman Jared Dudley in
the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest during All-Star weekend.

Dudley is not the most athletic player in the league,
instead he’s made his mark as a competent shooter, solid
defender and good locker room influence.

But his obvious lack of hops didn’t stop Dudley from
setting some lofty goals when it comes to the dunk
department.

Before the start of the season, Dudley boldly predicted
he’d have 18 dunks during the course of the lockout-
shortened NBA campaign. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but
considering Dudley only dunked 10 times last year in 82
games, lofty might be an understatement.

This season’s total? Zero in Phoenix’s first 12 contests.

Dudley joined Doug and Wolf on Arizona Sports 620 Tuesday
afternoon and explained why he failed to deliver dunk
number one against San Antonio Sunday night when it
appeared that it was a gimme.

“Someone took my shoes in San Antonio at the hotel, so I
had to play in some brand new shoes with no insoles, and I
think my foot gave out,” Dudley joked. “That’s the real
truth.”

Dudley’s first dunk could very well come on the road, as
the Suns’ next four games are away from home, starting
with a stop in the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bulls
Tuesday night.

Follow @Vincemarotta