The Miami Heat have a volcano on their hands in Bam Adebayo. Once he learns how to erupt… Pompeii.
The Miami Heat know that the best for Bam is yet to come. However, in order for that to fully be achieved, he has to play more ball.
Simply Needs To Play More Ball
Having a natural feel for the generalities of the game, the running, the jumping, the cutting, the passing, the defending, the balls to the wall effort, he has that. Now, the natural aggression for a player of his quality, not so much.
The more ball that a guy of Bam’s ability to soak things up plays, the better he’ll get. Not only because he steadily picks things up and adds them to his game, but also and simply because he’s seeing more, thus getting more comfortable being himself in those situations.
It’s always been said that experience is the best teacher and the case is no different here. He just needs to play more ball in a competitive environment and what better environment than this one.
That leads right into the next reason though.
Confidence That Olympic Play Gives
For some reason or another, after playing in the Olympic Games, players come back with all sorts of new confidence. It’s like playing in your first All-Star game, but on steroids.
The levels of security and confidence in a player’s game grows tremendously when validated by something like being chosen as an All-Star or Olympic representative. That’s the hope for Bam Adebayo.
There is also this. Playing with American players, most of the NBA talent-pool, you are playing with the best in the world and with few international big leaguers dispersed throughout the tournament.
That means that your team tends to dominate if you are apart of Team USA and most of the time, against inferior competition, which also strokes the ego and confidence. This isn’t a bravado thing, as Bam is among the most humble you’ll find, however, that’s why it’s necessary.
For a guy as meek as Bam can be, he needs to feel the wrath of his own ability in order to be able to tap into it when he wants to and needs to. Lovely though, that leads right into the last reason.