Bam Adebayo is one of the most feared rim protectors in the NBA but also has the skill to guard all five positions. He has finished in the top five in the Defensive Player of the Year voting for five straight years but is yet to win the award, which Caron Butler believes is a travesty.
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The former Heat player-turned-assistant-coach seems irked by the consensus around the center. In an interview on Sirius XM’s NBA Radio, the 44-year-old expressed frustration about Adebayo being constantly overlooked for the coveted prize.
He noted that the Heat star may not be the most statistically proficient defender, but is still among the top five in every relevant category. The two-time All-Star suggested that voters do not watch Adebayo in action and rely only on numbers when voting. Butler said,
“When you talk about versatility, you talk about two-way defender, I mean, it’s a crime that he hasn’t won Defensive Player of the Year. Statistically, you got a lot of different things – and he’s top 5 in all that stuff too – but when you come to games and you see what he do, and how hard individuals gotta work, the calories that are burned to get a shot off on Bam.”
“You have to get your electrolytes…if you’re going against Bam 🤣”
Miami assistant coach, @RealTuffJuice, on the Heat center’s rare skillset #HeatCulture
@RickKamlaSports | @ADaniels33 pic.twitter.com/UukqUvttc8— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 10, 2024
Adebayo is a menacing presence in the paint on the defensive end. However, at 6-foot-9, he’s one of the shorter centers in the league. He cannot stuff the stat sheet like Rudy Gobert or Victor Wembanyama. His career highs in blocks and steals are 1.3 and 1.4, respectively.
But looking at a player like the Heat star through that lens will never give the full picture. The center’s motor is otherworldly. During the 2022-23 season, the three-time All-Star led the league in miles covered, with 248.6. He beat out smaller, quicker wings like Mikal Bridges and Jayson Tatum on the list.
Adebayo has the strength and physical tools to contain centers, and the foot speed and agility to swivel his hips and switch onto guards. Butler described the center’s unrelenting effort with a hilarious line, saying,
“You have to have a lunch filled with calories, you gotta have grapes, you gotta get your electrolytes and everything if you’re going against Bam.“
Adebayo’s approach makes him a perfect fit in Miami. And while voters may not appreciate him, the Heat do and likely value him more than any other player on the roster.
