With former Miami Heat great Chris Bosh working with Bam Adebayo, there are quite a few specific skills he can take from the sharp-shooting big man.
In a video posted by the official twitter account of the Miami Heat, it showed current Heat big man Bam Adebayo working with former Heat big man Chris Bosh. They appeared to be focusing on a short jump-shot out of multiple move sets that the Miami big could add to his arsenal. With that in mind, here are three more things Adebayo could learn from CB.
Pick and Pop Skills
Bam Adebayo is a freak on the athletic spectrum, able to catch the highest of lob passes en route to the rim for massive slams and soft finishes. This is not only because he can jump out of the gym, but also because he has been an above average roll man on the pick and roll since his days at Kentucky.
What he isn’t quite as adept at as one would like in this NBA is the pick and pop play. Whereas the player screens and runs to the basket as hard as they can on pick and roll sequences, the pick and pop involves the screener then releasing to an open area along the perimeter or free throw line area. This is either for an open jump shot or to move the ball, while also helping to create spacing for someone looking to drive the lane.
While Adebayo has also mastered the roll portion in the league as he did at Kentucky, he still needs work on the pop aspect to pair with his refining jump shot. Chris Bosh was a really good roll man when asked to be, but what he was among the best in the business at was the pick and pop play. Although he can’t exactly replicate his jump shooting ability and give it to Adebayo, he can show Adebayo the best practices, the best routes, and what worked for him so well in being the pop man on that particular play.
Short-Area Handle
Chris Bosh was by no means a point guard, but what he could do is handle the rock all over the court. He was especially adept at catching, swiping through to face his man up in short areas such as the short corner baseline or free throw line, and then taking his opponent off the dribble to the cup. As he was also a very good jump shooter out of these short area situations, any move he made was likely set up off of his ability to create space for himself via the dribble.
This is something else he can share with the young Miami Heat big man. While Adebayo has shown and continues to show development in the ball handling area already, Chris Bosh could share some secrets about what worked best for him in these situations. Whether it be the jab step to the dribble pull-up jumper, the escape dribble to the jumper, or the quick cross-over from side to side, Bosh has something to offer in that area if Adebayo were looking to improve that aspect of his game, which he should be.
Defensive Cues and Keys
While Bam Adebayo is more of a natural five-man, as far as the way he plays and how he has been deployed for most of his career, the current NBA structure and his development dictate that he be that hybrid capable of playing the forward or center position. As a small ball center, the position Chris Bosh played for the Miami Heat while helping the team to win titles, there are certain nuances and tactics that go into being as effective as you possibly can. Whether that be how a player closes out on certain players, the positions they occupy while rotating along with the defense, or how they choose to play help defense, Chris Bosh was very good at all of it.
If Bam Adebayo wants to continue to develop into the complete and all-around player that he seems to be becoming, having Bosh work with him on the finer points of playing in the middle of a small ball defense. Whether it be guarding smaller quicker players or even bigger stronger players, Bosh did it all and so too could Adebayo.
The Miami Heat are probably thrilled at the notion that their big man is working out with someone as skilled and accomplished as Chris Bosh. Bam Adebayo should be thrilled as well while making sure to take full advantage of everything CB has to offer. There are other things that Bosh will surely look to help Adebayo touch up on, but the three mentioned above would help to catapult him to another level as soon as next season.