Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo: Then, now and what’s to come

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo has a bright future ahead of him.

Welcome to a new series on AllUCanHeat, that takes a look at the past, present and future of some of Miami Heat’s finest. Today, the spotlight is on Bam Adebayo, a rookie out of the University of Kentucky.

Drafted No. 14 overall last summer by the Heat, many were unsure what to make of the organization’s selection. Not having been on much of Heat Nation’s radar, questions began to arise whether or not president Pat Riley knew what he was doing. But as usual, it turns out he absolutely did. Because 49 games into the 2017-18 season, and it’s already clear what kind of future the big man could have in South Florida.

Sure, it may still be very early on in the center’s career, but so far the stars have aligned in such a way that Adebayo has already been able to show flashes of potential.

Between teammate Hassan Whiteside being sidelined twice with a bone bruise and Miami’s second unit having to pick up much of the slack recently, the 20-year-old has had to step up.

Defensively, he’s done exactly what is expected of a 7-footer: use size to his advantage. Adebayo’s long and strong frame has been a nightmare for opponents to both shoot over and try to get around. But the good news is, the kid can also shoot. While playing at the rim may be easier for someone of his height, he also has a jumper that will only get prettier with time.

So let’s take a look at where Adebayo started, where he’s at currently, and what his future may hold.