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Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry is on his way to New York, where he’ll take part in the weekend’s all-star festivities.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

On Saturday night in New York, Kyle Lowry will get a very different platform to test his pure skill level and clutch ability against some of the best guards in today's NBA.

Some players have been known to slack off in all-star weekend events, but this ultracompetitive Toronto Raptors point guard has waited nine years to be chosen as an all-star. Before he suits up for Sunday's game, he will first compete in Saturday's skills challenge, an eight-player timed obstacle course that has traditionally acted as a good barometer to spotlight which guards can truly do it all. Some call the well-rounded Lowry a contender; he says his strategy is to enjoy himself.

This year, the skills challenge will feature a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format for the first time. Two players will compete simultaneously on identical obstacle courses that test passing, dribbling, agility and shooting skills, with the fastest finisher of each head-to-head matchup advancing until two finalists compete in the championship round.

Toronto's aggressive point man will face Dennis Schroder of the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, with the victor meeting the winner of a matchup between Brandon Knight of the Milwaukee Bucks and Trey Burke of the Utah Jazz (who paired with Portland Trail Blazer Damian Lillard to win the partner relay-style skills competition held last year).

On the other side of the bracket, Jeff Teague of the Atlanta Hawks faces Philadelphia 76er Michael Carter-Williams in the first round.

Also, Phoenix Sun Isaiah Thomas and Patrick Beverley of the Houston Rockets face off.The event is built to showcase the razzle-dazzle of guard play. This year's course starts with players dribbling around five pylons. They then get three attempts to zip a chest pass through a target. From there, they speed dribble the length of the court and attempt to make a layup or dunk, then rush back up court and attempt to sink a three-point shot.

Before leaving Toronto, Lowry said he hadn't exactly had time to rumble through any obstacle courses or practice passing through a target, but he's no stranger to performing under pressure.

"No, I don't think I have the [target] to throw the balls into, but I think I'll be all right," Lowry said with a laugh earlier this week. "I'm nervous, because I don't want to mess up; I really want to win. There are still millions of people watching, so I still have to go out and do a job."

A strong blend of scoring and playmaking ability has served competitors well in this competition. The winner needs both speed and accuracy. Even the most confident players have found themselves missing the target or struggling from beyond the arc while battling against the clock.

"Kyle's an all-star, he has nothing to prove, we all wished him luck in [the locker room]," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said after Wednesday's win over the Washington Wizards. "He's our all-star."

Odds-maker Bodog listed Teague and Lowry as favourites in the skills competition. TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neill picked Lowry to win.

"You're all going with Isaiah [Thomas], but I'm going with Kyle Lowry, because he's similar to Isaiah and can stop on a dime and shoot," O'Neill told his fellow TNT panelists.

Lowry will be the second Raptor to compete in the challenge, following DeMar DeRozan's participation last year. He could add his name to a stellar list of winners to champion the competition since it began in 2003, including Tony Parker, Jason Kidd and two-time winners Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash.

"I'm going to go out there and have fun," Lowry said before leaving Toronto. "That's what I'm gonna do."

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