Buzz Break: 2019-20 Panini Contenders NBA cards (blaster)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The box: 2019-20 Panini Contenders basketball cards (blaster box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby)

Packs per box: 5
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion: 32 of 100 (32 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Notables on base cards – Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kyle Lowry, Aaron Gordon, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Vucevic, Devin Booker, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kevin Love, Victor Oladipo

Inserts/short-prints: 7 (see gallery below)
Game Ticket Red parallel (2) – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Marc Gasol
Front-row Seat (1) – Bradley Beal
Winning Ticket (2) – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Willis Reed
Draft Class (2) – Cam Reddish, Matisse Thybulle

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Rookie Ticket Swatches (1) – Jaxson Hayes

What's Buzz-worthy: If you're a regular reader, you probably know that I'm perhaps established as not that big of a fan for this brand overall (any sport) as it seems like it's one that's more about its autographs than everything else -- though NBA Contenders doesn't deliver as much ink as other sports in the hobby format. But, the blaster boxes of this one (at least in this sport) seem to be loosening that notion up a bit. You still get a ton of base cards compared to anything else here, but the inserts really do break up the base routine. (So if you're on the fence about the base design like me it may not be that comfortable of a rip beyond inserts.) You don't get a ton of them -- this is about the same as last year -- but the inserts are the only way you'll regularly find rookies here other than the one hit per box. I'd imagine this brand being a lot stronger if it had some kind of format-exclusive every-pack rookie presence -- something like a Dollar Tree component. (That might make it an A+ in this format.) This time the hit was a Rookie Ticket Swatch but there are autographs and dual-mem cards (and patches) possible here. There are Green Shimmer on-card autos only found in retail which can make for a scorcher of a box if you land one of those compared to a normal one. I thought my Zion-less NBA streak this year was coming to an end with the Pelicans logo the first thing I saw on the back of my hit here, but I clanged it off the rim as it wasn't the No. 1 pick. That pushed me to 0-for-120 packs this year across several brands. The Antetokounmpo and Abdul-Jabbar sightings here were nice but not overwhelming value-wise in my mind while the Durant Nets card looks good, too. This brand is one where people rip hobby boxes hard for their solid flow of ink -- I'd rip in that direction if you're interested.

Product Grade: B+
Box Grade: B (a few key names helped here but it wasn't flashy at all)
Fun Grade: B- (needs more rookies in this format)

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