Bam Adebayo this season has been nothing short of exceptional for the Miami Heat. The way he has been a rock under the rim for his side has been a treat to watch for the fans. Moreover, his partnership with Jimmy Butler has struck fear into the heart of the opponents all season.
Adebayo is one of the rare centers in the league who can play an influential role in the team’s offense. The 20-year-old can make shots from the most difficult angles. He has also delivered many match-winning performances in clutch situations for the Heat.
In a recent interview, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra waxed lyrical about his young big man. Spoelstra even nominated Adebayo for the defensive player of the year award.
He said, “I think Bam is one of the most unique defenders in the league. He can legit guard one through five and that’s not just coach speak, that’s not fan speak, media speak. That’s legit. He can anchor a very reliable defense and he can take on different challenges and he has the IQ to be able to execute multiple schemes where it’s not just the switching scheme that people think that he’s involved with. He’s able to handle more sophisticated things than just that.”
Spoelstra continued, “I think he should be considered for [the Defensive Player of the Year award]. But we don’t have a major campaign for that. I think the main point about all these awards, if you win, I think a lot of that stuff gets taken care of. So we gotta handle that first box, we gotta win.”
MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 26: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Chicago Bulls is defended by Bam Adebayo #13
Adebayo has injected a positive fervor in every one of Heat’s players. His infectious smile and influence urges every player to give their all in order to get each victory. With Adebayo on the board, Miami Heat will look forward to emulating their feats of last season when they qualified for the finals.
The Miami Heat are seventh in the Western Conference standings. At the moment, they lie squarely in contention for the playoff spots. Coach Spoelstra and his men will be very confident about performing well in the playoffs.
