The Miami Heat’s first round pick Bam Adebayo finished his first summer league game with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Miami Heat went into their first game of Orlando Summer League with a chance to see their first-round pick Bam Adebayo in action, and they made the most of it. They went to their new center early and often, featuring him offensively and giving him space to be creative.
Pat Riley and Heat coaches have raved about Adebayo’s footwork. In his debut, he ran down the court well, and was able to switch onto guards and defend outside on the perimeter. Offensively, though, is where Adebayo really impressed. He wasn’t afraid to put the ball on the ground with the dribble, or pull up from mid-range.
He even showed off a sweet turnaround jumper.
I mean, he looks like a guard here…
Of course, he gave you the usual center stuff, like a rebound and a putback.
Adebayo was also a willing passer, and was involved in screens and dribble handoffs that are common in Miami’s offense. He had his mistakes, of course. He took some ill-advised shots and got beat defensively at times. But the important thing is that the Heat (coached in summer league by Chris Quinn) let him make those mistakes and develop.
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All in all, it was an impressive debut for the rookie. At Kentucky, Adebayo didn’t have a chance to consistently show off his range. By selecting him at 14, the Heat have taken an interest in the talented big man. They will let him experiment and, in the process, maybe he’ll continue to shine like he did in his first game in Orlando.