Bam Adebayo didn’t hesitate to crown Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball as the more dangerous pairing than Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and the Miami Heat big man made it clear why the Minnesota duo has people buzzing.
During an appearance on The Makeshift Podcast, Adebayo was asked to compare the Timberwolves’ new backcourt-star combination with what the Lakers have in Doncic and Reaves. He called it a tough decision, but his lean went toward Minnesota.
“That’s tough ’cause you’ve seen Luka and Reaves play,” Adebayo said.
Reaves earned real respect from Adebayo after a huge season with the Lakers. The undrafted guard averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2025-26, showing he can handle a major role alongside Doncic. Even so, Adebayo still gave Edwards and Ball the nod.
“I’mma say Ant and LaMelo,” Adebayo said. “I feel like they’re going to be exciting for Minnesota… Everything off the court is bound to be hilarious. Like the off-the-court media training, like hilarious.”
That off-court element is part of what has made the pairing such a talking point already. Edwards and Ball are obvious must-watch players when the ball is live, but there’s also a sense that the show could get interesting in every other setting, too. Philadelphia 76ers star Jaylen Brown even joked that the Timberwolves would have to supervise and counsel them.
On the floor, Edwards is coming off a monster year of his own, averaging 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game for Minnesota in 2025-26. He put up those numbers without a great facilitator beside him, and that changes now that Ball is in the picture.
Ball, meanwhile, posted 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Charlotte Hornets in 2025-26 before the Hornets dealt him to Minnesota in a surprising summer move. The trade sent the 25-year-old to the Timberwolves in exchange for Naz Reid, one unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks.
Preseason has already offered a glimpse of the fit, and the chemistry between Edwards and Ball has reportedly looked strong. That makes Minnesota one of the more intriguing teams to track as the season unfolds.
Still, Adebayo wasn’t pretending Doncic should be left out of the top tier. If the question is about who you’d take first, the Lakers’ superstar still stands above the rest.
Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for Los Angeles in 2025-26, won the scoring title, and finished fourth in MVP voting. He also enters this season looking to be in the best shape of his life.
The Lakers and Timberwolves won’t see each other right away, either. Their first meeting is Dec. 16 in Minnesota, and the second comes just two days later on Dec.
- Those matchups figure to draw plenty of attention.
Adebayo also worked through a separate “winner moves on” exercise and kept leaning on proven success. He advanced past Edwards and Ball with the 76ers duo of LeBron James and Joel Embiid, then chose James and Embiid over Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, and over Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox as well.
The run finally ended when Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray came up.
“I got to go Jamal and Jokic ’cause they’ve won,” Adebayo said.
From there, the conversation turned to Adebayo’s own answer. Once Jokic and Murray were out of the way, he landed on himself and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I’mma say us,” Adebayo said. “… I got to.”
That pick fits the way he sees the pair: a wrecking ball defensively, even if the offensive fit still raises questions. Antetokounmpo has brushed off those concerns, and with him next to Adebayo, the Heat forward has his sights set on winning his first NBA title. Miami isn’t being treated like one of the favorites, but that isn’t stopping the Heat from believing they can prove people wrong.
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