ESPN recently released their list of the top players in the Orlando bubble. And while most agree that they nailed guys like LeBron, Giannis, and Kawhi, the top ten was lacking two very notable names: Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard.
ESPN had them both below the top 10, with Dame at 11 and Russ sitting one spot under him at 12. Jayson Tatum and Pascal Siakam were at 13 and 14. No matter your feelings on those guys, it’s hard to buy that they’re not top ten players, especially considering all they’ve been doing this season.
Obviously, their snub from the top 10 had people livid on Twitter, and the responses from angry fans and media members came quickly.
https://twitter.com/darkMATTer586/status/1287398098189262854https://twitter.com/CityofSinfinest/status/1287422081521524744
Kendrick Perkins called it straight up disrespect.
Just going to keep disrespecting Russ, Dame and Siakam huh?! https://t.co/Bpxlc681kG
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) July 26, 2020
Damian Lillard has been the only one giving Portland life this season. Amid several major injuries and a changing lineup all year long, he averaged a consistent 28.9 points, 7.8 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game on 45.7% shooting.
For Westbrook, his play during Harden’s rough stretches is what has kept the Rockets in the Championship conversation this year. Before the hiatus, he was putting up 27.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists per game on 47.4% shooting.
With all due respect to Butler, Jokic, and PG, it’s a crime that neither Dame nor Russ cracked the top ten.
And, clearly, there’s plenty of folk out there who feel the exact same way.
