Damian Lillard made headlines over All-Star Weekend for leaving Giannis Antetokounmpo of a fictional dream starting five where he chose Bam Adebayo as the big man on his team. Adebayo reacted to that endorsement from Lillard in an interview with The Miami Herald.
“Out of all the dudes he could have chosen, he chose me. I feel like it’s respect for what I do, how I’ve improved over this year, and from where I started.”
Lillard’s full team was rounded out by the selections of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and himself.
“It’d be me, LeBron, Steph, Kevin Durant, and I’ll go with Bam Adebayo.”
Adebayo further discussed why star players around the NBA have a deep respect for his game.
“I feel like just understanding what I bring to the table, that I can impact winning. Even though they say, ‘Oh, he’s undersized,’ or whatever the case may be. ‘He’s still impacting winning at the highest level no matter who they play against or who he plays against.’”
Adebayo is averaging 20.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists this season. He and and Lillard have had a close relationship for the past few years, as a friendship was forged when the pair played for Team USA in the 2020 Olympics together.
One of the reported reasons for Lillard wanting to be traded to the Miami Heat over the summer was his reported desire to play alongside Adebayo.
Damian Lillard Hoping To Turn His Season Around And Lead The Bucks To A Championship Run
No matter how badly Lillard may or may not want to be teammates with Adebayo, he is teammates right now with a former MVP having the best offensive season of his career. Giannis is averaging 30.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 61.6% shooting from the field, inarguably leading the Bucks as their No. 1 option. However, Lillard hasn’t had the same luck.
Dame is averaging 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists this season, a departure from the numbers we’ve seen him average over his career. His efficiency has also been hurt, shooting 42.5% from the field and 34.4% from three. The Bucks do have the dubious distinction of being virtually unbeatable in games Lillard shoots over 50% from the field, boasting a 20-0 record in those situations after their dominant win over the Hornets tonight.
If Lillard can carry forward the form we saw from him during All-Star Weekend where he won the 3-point contest and All-Star Game MVP, the Bucks are legitimate threats in the Eastern Conference. Giannis has repeatedly tried to empower Dame into becoming the No. 1 option on the team, but the offense hasn’t been as seamless as many hoped.
The Bucks are turning their season around, winning their last three games and pushing up on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the No. 2 seed. The Bucks still have championship DNA, but how far they go in the playoffs may depend entirely on how well Lilalrdplays in the postseason.
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