Reasons I Don’t Mind Meyers Leonard Starting For Miami Heat: Best For Bam Adebayo
The Miami Heat have a dominant presence in the middle, when he has the space to operate. Bam Adebayo is All-World when it comes to what he can do on the floor, he just has to have the available area to operate to make it all happen.
Though he has clearly been working on his mid-range game, short jumpers and such, he still will be at his best when he has an open lane to manipulate and work with. That’s where Meyers comes in at.
Though seven feet tall, Meyers’s best offensive ability is his ability to knock down the three-ball. Being as big as he is, the opposing team will have to put one of their bigs on him, if not their biggest guy.
If that guy is chasing Meyers Leonard around the perimeter, then there is no possible way that this same player can then be protecting the rim. That means that, in all likelihood, the paint and the rim are open to being assaulted.
Bam Adebayo against most people is a victory for Bam. Take away the opposing team’s biggest and most physically imposing player, you most certainly have to give Adebayo all the advantages there.
While other players could command the attention to draw the big man out, it would be that much more effective if the guy doing the “drawing” were actually bigger than Adebayo, meaning that the biggest defender on the floor likely is the guy going with them. Even if it isn’t the biggest though, it’s the second biggest defender, which also is a help.
That’s the second reason why I don’t mind Meyers Leonard being that starter. He probably offers the most in the realm of making things easier for Bam Adebayo to operate comfortably.