The Miami Heat are on the cusp of the beginning of their 2021 NBA Playoffs. Heading into a first-round matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, they have a plenty on their plates to contend with.
Before the postseason gets fully underway though, there must be a bow tied around the regular season. A part of that is to hand out the regular season awards.
While Jimmy Butler‘s JiMVP campaign never really took off, there was another Miami Heat guy that rightfully should have been a candidate for the league’s best player on the other side of the ball. All year long and as he, Bam Adebayo, told us in a recent post-game interview, he has been the Heat’s everything on defense, but did it matter to the voters?
“I do everything on defense. And I’m going to walk out on that one.” 👀@Bam1of1 thinks he should be DPOY. pic.twitter.com/DsWftWp9AT
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 12, 2021
Apparently not. You have to say that, as he didn’t even finish in the top three vote-getters for the award, as the finalist were recently announced.
To be fair though, he was a top contender all season long. However, that makes this finish that much more confusing.
The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo wasn’t even a top three finalist for the league’s DPOY, but might that be the best thing for the Heat right now?
While Bam Adebayo should have been a top finalist for the award, the award winner to be totally honest, he didn’t. He certainly took notice of it all though.
https://twitter.com/Bam1of1/status/1395532549913550850
Here’s the things about it all. It may be the best thing, overall, for Miami.
Not that he wouldn’t have put his best foot forward if he had finished higher or won the award ever, but humans, especially athletes, are motivated by doubt. Being snubbed for an award that you rightfully qualify to finish high for, the top three for certain here with Bam and the DPOY Award, is essentially the same as being doubted.
Heading into a matchup against one of the league’s most unstoppable forces, Giannis Antetokounmpo, you want Bam to be in as peak of a condition as possible. What better way to ensure a little extra edge than with this kind of motivation?
You like that he has a little something extra, a bit more fire in his belly, heading into this series. Against The Greek Freak, in a playoff setting, and against the team in Miami that sent him home last season, he’ll surely be motivated.
Now, the Miami Heat’s guy is motivated as well. If there is anything or anyone that can contend with Giannis, one on one, it’s Bam Adebayo.
That, though, is why this all happened. Because he’s one of the best defenders in the entire league, likely the best this season… even though they didn’t see it.