Patrick Beverley to replace John Wall in the Skills Competition

Patrick Beverley, for some odd reason, will join Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Trey Burke, and Jeff Teague among others in this year's Taco Bell Skills Challenge.

Beverley is getting the nod over John Wall not because of an injury to the Washington guard, but because Wall prefers to rest.

Beverley and James Harden are the sole Rockets representatives in Brooklyn as Harden is in the All Star game and the Three-Point Contest. There are officially Rockets in two of the three main All-Star events.

Patrick Beverley will replace John Wall in the Taco Bell Poulan Weedeater Independence Bowl Waste Management Open Skills Ch zzzzzzzzzzzz

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) February 10, 2015

There have been some interesting reforms to the event this year. For the first time ever, the format is head-to-head, so two players will go through the challenge simultaneously. In the first round, Beverley will be matched up with Isaiah Thomas.

So what are Beverley's chances to win the skills contest? Well, the field isn't as talented as it once was, but Bev is certainly a dark horse. The challenge can be a crapshoot and sometimes, the winner is simply the hardo who sprints through the course while every other contestant dogs it, that's where Beverley comes in.

Even though Steve Nash, a Skills Contest legend, isn't speed-dribbling through the course, it's unlikely Beverley takes home the trophy. We all know what Beverley can (and can't) do. Obviously, ball skills aren't his specialty and he will likely struggle through the course.

Skills challenge: dribbling, passing, shooting. Beverley’s primary basketball skill: being a mother***ing berserker

— The Dream Shake (@DreamShakeSBN) February 10, 2015