The Golden State Warriors narrowly avoided disaster on Tuesday.
A No. 7 vs. No. 8 Play-In loss to the Memphis Grizzlies would have forced the Dubs to face either the Sacramento Kings or Dallas Mavericks in a win-or-go-home scenario.
Fortunately, Golden State took care of business and earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference after defeating the Grizzlies 121-116.
Still, the Warriors will have their work cut out when they face the up-and-coming Houston Rockets to begin the postseason.
An early exit could help the Warriors in more ways than one. In that case, Golden State could finally move on from Buddy Hield, a struggling sharpshooter, and acquire a versatile three-time All-Star forward who would strengthen the Dubs’ frontcourt.
Bam Adebayo has come a long way since entering the league in 2017. Adebayo, a former top-15 draft pick, was considered a limited offensive weapon early on.
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Adebayo has always been a physical specimen who can bully defenders in the low post, but he wasn’t the most well-rounded big man.
The Kentucky product now routinely showcases his ability to take defenders off the dribble in the high post, aggressively attack closeouts on the perimeter, and knock down long-range jumpers at a respectable clip.
Adebayo averaged 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, shooting 48.5% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range in 78 regular-season contests.
Conversely, Hield has declined since serving as a viable Klay Thompson replacement early in the year.
The Oklahoma product, who shot well above 35% during the first 20+ games of the season, has looked more like a fraudulent splash brother as time has progressed.
Although Hield shot 37.0% from three in the regular season, he was close to boasting a sub-30% three-point shooting percentage during two consecutive months (December- 30.5%, January-31.5%).
He’s also entering the playoffs ice cold from deep, as the 6-foot-4 guard connected on one of his four long-range jumpers against the Grizzlies in the Warriors’ much-needed Play-In victory.
A Hield and Adebayo swap wouldn’t give the Warriors a more dependable outside threat. However, it would help the Dubs form an underrated Big Three and finally help the organization land a high-level scoring frontcourt asset in the Bay.
Adebayo should be a realistic trade target for Golden State this summer.
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