The Miami Heat are 7th in the Eastern Conference and haven’t looked like championship contenders. Bam Adebayo has been criticized for his lack of an offensive game this season. However, Heat legend Udonis Haslem stood up for Adebayo by highlighting his importance to the team in many areas outside of scoring.
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In an episode of The OGs Poscast hosted by Haslem and Mike Miller, they welcomed former Heat guard Carlos Arroyo. The nine-year NBA veteran shared his desire to see the Heat back in contention. He listed Jimmy Butler and Adebayo as the two figures that need to be more consistent. Before Arroyo could continue his train of thought, Haslem stepped in to support Adebayo. He said,
“The people that don’t know sh*t about basketball they often time want to look at scoring and think that’s most of it. They don’t understand how much Bam does for our team on both ends of the basketball court.”
Adebayo is the defensive backbone of the Heat. Without Bam’s efforts, Miami would plummet as a team. He’s the main reason the team is the League’s tenth-best defense. The Heat big man also carries offensive responsibilities that don’t result in his personal point totals increasing.
Arroyo mentioned his desire for the team to acquire a true point guard to facilitate the offense. However, Haslem contends that Adebayo can initiate the offense, which adds an element to the Heat’s versatility. The three-time All-Star is averaging 4.7 assists for the season.
Bam is still only 27 years old and is approaching the typical age players enter their primes. There is still another gear that the big man is capable of achieving.
Bam’s impact on the Heat
Since Adebayo has progressed into an All-Star caliber player, he’s consistently been in contention for the Defensive Player of the Year. He’s a five-time All-Defensive Team member, earning a selection in five consecutive seasons. Furthermore, he’s been in the top five for Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of those seasons.
The 6-foot-9 big man is the connector that glues this Heat team together. Without Adebayo, the Heat’s entire offensive and defensive philosophy would collapse. When Adebayo is on the court, the Heat hold opponents to 5.3 fewer points per possession, which is in the top 84th percentile.
Adebayo’s impact for the Heat is undeniable. As Butler’s future with the team shows signs of uncertainty, the next step for Adebayo is to shoulder more of the scoring burden moving forward.
