30 NBA Players in 30 Days: Bam Adebayo
For Day 27 of our 2023 NBA season countdown, we take a trip to South Beach to break down the Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo. In 2017, if you told Pat Riley and the Heat how Adebayo grew as a player to what he is today, they would have definitely thought you were lying. He has been a tremendous development project already so far in his career, but he is only 25.There is still a lot to look forward to in the big man from Kentucky. Adebayo is known as a highly defensive big, who can also give a good amount of playmaking from the center position. Head coach Erik Spoelstra uses him as a hub on offense, with Adebayo being the DHO man for the several shooters they have on the team. He has an interesting offensive game, being able to shoot and sometimes create his own shot from the mid-range and in. When you put all of those attributes together with an extremely athletic build at 6’10, you have an All-Star and someone who has been on an All-Defensive team 3 times already. Even with how much Adebayo has accomplished individually, he can still improve into something greater. His trajectory as an NBA player has helped the Heat rise up as a consistent top team in the NBA during that span.
Last season, Adebayo posted 19.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 0.8 BPG. These are great numbers for the Heat’s defensive anchor. The only let down was that there was not much improvement for a guy who has been improving every year of his career. He only played 56 games, which is less than the 64 he played last year. Last year he averaged more rebounds, shot better from the field, and averaged about the same amount of points. This season is going to be a huge tell at what we can project for Adebayo’s season. It is widely agreed that if he can reach another level as an offensive weapon, he could challenge Embiid and Jokić as being the best big in the NBA. Last season, part of the reason why his offensive output did not really grow is because his shots per game only went up from 12.4 to 12.9. Each year he improved his scoring by a good amount, he took at least more than a shot more per game. It looks as though he is making that adjustment because during the preseason he is scoring 21.3 PPG on 13.3 FGA and 1.0 3PA. If Adebayo is consistent with at least attempting a 3 per game, it will be his first season he averages more than 0.2 attempts per game. I saw clips of him shooting and making 3s during the preseason, and if he is at least not afraid to take a couple a game, he can definitely improve his scoring. There is nothing wrong with his shot as well, it looks smooth with no hitch. It is definitely prettier than most big men who are shooting 3s. Another big component would be his free throw shooting. He shot almost 5% worse from the line. Adebayo has the talent and touch to be a solid shooter as a center, but he just needs to develop a little bit more of a scorer’s mentality, especially when he is quicker and more athletic than most centers.
I know I’ve said this before a couple of times during this series, but the Heat can only go as far as Adebayo can take them. Yes, Jimmy Butler is most likely the best player on the team, but the clock is ticking for his prime, and he is already a super physical wing who has not played over 58 games during the regular season for the last 3 years. He is the leader and the player who comes up big in high pressure games,, but at this point in their careers, Adebayo is more talented. He can possibly be the next best two-way star center other than Joel Embiid, and if he can reach that point, the Heat will reach a new height.
