It was the kind of play that helped Smart win the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year, an award Adebayo felt he should have received more consideration for. Voters placed Adebayo fourth in the running behind Smart, Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert. Adebayo called the voting “disrespectful,” and no, he insisted, he isn’t using this series as a prove-it moment for himself. “No, I want to win (a title),” Adebayo said in a recent interview with The Athletic. “I already forgot about the award. We’re trying to win a championship, trying to advance in this series. I’m not worried about any awards.”