Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo still getting (some) DPOY love
In a recent survey of NBA coaches, the Miami Heat’s very own Bam Adebayo earned some recognition in the form of Defensive Player of the Year votes.
In such a strange season, it’s nice to see attention still being paid to players in terms of the annual award watch. Most recently, the Athletic ran a survey by 23 NBA coaches. For the Miami Heat, it was Bam Adebayo who caught some love for Defensive Player of the Year.
Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert lead the way for what would be his third time winning the award.
Adebayo came in dead last in votes right behind Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s averaging 16.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game for Miami this year, who’re currently the Eastern Conference’s four-seed.
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He’s also posting the best Defensive Rating of the Heat’s starting five at 106 per 100 possessions.
This isn’t the first time Adebayo’s been mentioned in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. ESPN ran a forecast panel back in May that awarded him Most Improved Player, but also saw him receive votes for the defensive award as well.
He may not win the Defensive Player of the Year, but look for Adebayo to earn All-Defensive honors. The media will vote for the two five-man lineups after the season’s finish in Orlando, but the coaches in this poll named Adebayo to the All-Defensive second team.
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In terms of this season, the Miami Heat are currently gearing up to finish out the year inside a quarantined bubble in Orlando, Florida. They along with 21 other teams will play out eight games to finish the 2019-2020 campaign before heading into the playoffs.
Bam Adebayo’s defense (and offense) will be crucial if they’re to make as much noise as anticipated in this year’s playoffs, and potentially compete for a championship.