John Wall picks 4x All-Star over Bam Adebayo for his all-time Kentucky starting 5
Before joining the NBA ranks, Bam Adebayo spent his lone year of college playing at Kentucky. Despite putting together an impressive NBA career, the versatile big man saw himself left off an inclusive list.
On Sunday afternoon, John Wall appeared on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back" show to discuss a variety of topics. Among the things brought up was the plethora of NBA talent that Kentucky has produced.
During his interview, Wall was asked to name his all-time starting five from Kentucky. The former superstar guard ended up subbing Bam Adebayo at the center position in favor of DeMarcus Cousins. Filling out the other four spots were himself, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Devin Booker and Anthony Davis.
At his peak, Cousins was an All-NBA caliber big man. During his prime with the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans, he averaged at least 22 points and 11 rebounds across five seasons. However, injuries led to the four-time All-Star having a quick decline.
Cousins last played in the NBA in 2022, suiting up for the Denver Nuggets as Nikola Jokic's backup. These days, he is keeping his basketball career alive playing overseas.
Should DeMarcus Cousins have been picked over Bam Adebayo on John Wall's all-time list?
Looking at their careers side-by-side, Bam Adebayo has a case to be chosen over DeMarcus Cousins on John Wall's list. The hardest part when making this choice is that the Miami Heat big man's career is still going and he's just getting ready to enter his prime.
In terms of accolades, Cousins made four All-Star teams, was All-NBA twice and made an All-Rookie team. As for Adebayo, he is a three-time All-Star who has made five All-Defense teams.
When diving into the numbers, Cousins certainly stands out more. In his best season, he averaged 27.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Adebayo is equally as versatile, but not to that degree. He averaged a career-high in points in 2023, but it was only 20.3.
One thing that should give Bam Adebayo an edge is that his impact on the floor has led to great team success. When Cousins was at his peak, the Sacramento Kings were not a playoff team. He played in the NBA Finals on one occasion, but it was in a limited role with the Golden State Warriors in 2019.
As for Adebayo, his two-way impact has allowed the Miami Heat to succeed at the highest level. Alongside Jimmy Butler, he's been the second-best player on a team that's played in three conference finals and two finals.
Still with four years to catch up to Cousins' career length, Adebayo has a very strong case to be in Wall's starting five over him.