Miami Heat: Team USA can help Bam Adebayo become a superstar
By Jack Simone
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo will play in his first-ever Olympics this offseason. This opportunity will be useful in many different ways.
The first, most obvious thing to look out for is the recruitment of other players. Adebayo already commented on this matter, but it should be far from the top of his list of priorities.
As Team USA travels to Tokyo, Adebayo will have the chance to play with some of the best in the world. Games on the international stage are great, but the practices will be key.
During the regular season, the big man only gets to practice against his Miami Heat teammates. Playing with Team USA allows him to square off with a brand new set of players in a friendly setting.
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He’ll have the chance to pick the brains of some of the league’s best. Playing against the likes of Kevin Durant and Draymond Green on a daily basis could be a huge help.
Durant is one of the best scorers in NBA history, so he would certainly help out Adebayo on offense. The same can be said for Green on the defensive side of the floor.
Team USA practices are known to include legendary 1-on-1 battles. The videos of these games end up being plastered all over social media.
One viral video includes Kevin Durant, Paul George, Victor Oladipo, and Devin Booker playing king of the court. Another shows Kevin Garnett dominating the competition on every possession.
Adebayo has the length and defensive presence to hold his own in 1-on-1 situations. Testing his capabilities in these battles will be great for his overall game.
Not only will these practices test Adebayo, but they will do so in a completely different way than he’s used to. He’ll be forced to adapt to an entirely new playstyle.
The only other “big men” on the roster are Kevin Love, Jerami Grant, and Draymond Green. This means he won’t be facing off against other centers.
If Adebayo finds himself in 1-on-1s, it’ll be against mainly wings and guards. In that sort of scenario, Adebayo will be forced to drive, shoot, and defend the perimeter rather than the paint.
This change of pace could help him improve in a bunch of new areas of the game. If it goes well, the Miami Heat center could look like a whole new player on the offensive end next year.
Aggressiveness, quickness, and decisiveness are all key in a 1-on-1 game. Adebayo could stand to improve in all of those categories on offense.
In addition, if Adebayo is forced to shoot over his opponents, he could develop a better jump shot. Both Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins’ three-point percentages drastically improved after their first Olympic Games in 2016.
With Jimmy Butler getting older, Adebayo could be set to take on a much larger load on offense. At the very least, he should get the chance to be a larger focal point of the offense.
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Team USA will give him the chance to improve his skills on both ends. Watch out, Miami Heat fans, Bam Adebayo could come back next year as a true superstar.