Unconventional Defense
It seems like the sky is the limit for a guy like Adebayo.
Coming to a team like the Heat, who have a renowned staff and connections to Juwan Howard and Alonzo Mourning to help him, should be the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
And I don’t seem to be the only one who agrees with this.
Scout for a rival East team has told me that Bam has superstar potential. This particular scout does not throw around the term "superstar" loosely. https://t.co/A4dOZVb5rK
— Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) July 25, 2018
If opposing scouts truly do see the world in Adebayo, then surely the Heat staff do too. And if that’s the case, then they need to start following through on these intuitions.
Spoelstra has to give Adebayo as many opportunities to sink or swim. That means letting him step out of his comfort zone and seeing if he can flourish.
There are three situations in particular that I personally think Spoelsta could put him in to see how he does. First, give him the ball in the post and give him free reigns to make the correct passes. Then, play him at the 4 while Hassan Whiteside plays center for ultimate rim-protecting, but also letting Bam space out a bit. And lastly, run more of a pick-and-pop game with him, as defenders are obviously wary of his rolling ability.
Most coaches wouldn’t want their big men switching to the perimeter to cover the likes of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler or LeBron James 1-on-1…
But there goes the young buck.
By popular demand, Bam Adebayo vs. Butler, LeBron and Curry.
— Couper Moorhead (@CoupNBA) December 4, 2017
More to defense than these isolated events, but they sure are some impressive flashes for a rookie center. pic.twitter.com/3fFSWS8uog
This isn’t to say that Bam is a lockdown wing defender or can do no wrong. But the Heat need to continue to let him be in unconventional situations and see how it plays out, in order to truly find out what his potential is.