Watching the Miami Heat’s tower of athleticism, Bam Adebayo, it’s clear he’s talented but after coming back from his injury, Bam is on a bit of a tear. The Heat are quietly sitting at the top of the East, despite the injury and Covid woes that have plagued the league all season.
With the Bulls slipping and Brooklyn falling apart (in more ways than one), it appears the East has suddenly left them with more room to breathe at the top.
As we approach the final third of the season, Adebayo is making himself known, albeit with whispers. His return from injury has been spectacular and though especially on the offensive end in the past few games, he should still be in the discussion for the Defensive Player of the Year award too.
His defense, as can be seen below, shows his skill and adaptability. In the clip, Charlotte tries multiple times to penetrate the paint on Bam.
LOOK AT THIS DEFENSIVE POSSESSION FROM BAM ADEBAYO. pic.twitter.com/7zssDnQBDe
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) February 6, 2022
They use several dribble hand-offs and screens but to no avail. Bam switches seamlessly on every ball handler.
The possession finally ends with a Bam block after Miles Bridges forces a bad shot up, though the only shot that Adebayo would allow. This is, more or less, business as usual for Adebayo but it’s more important to see it happen as the team is gearing up for the final run after the All-Star break.
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo Should Still Be A Contender For NBA DPOY
Currently, Milwaukee presents the biggest challenge for the Heat in getting to the NBA Finals. And what’s the biggest question when anyone plays the Bucks?
How will Giannis Antetokounmpo be contained? The answer, of course, is that he won’t be.
He’s impossible to actually contain but that’s also actually ok.
If Bam can switch or stay, while continuing to play decisive and efficient defense, the Miami Heat will be just fine. The Heat’s success depends on their overall defensive scheme, something that is definitely still being developed as the team finds its rhythm.
However, if Bam Adebayo can guard three different explosive perimeter players on the same possession with success, it should make Heat fans optimistic about the overall strategic options Erik Spoelstra has to work with against anyone.
Coach Spo has proven that with culture and coaching, he can get the most out of any roster he’s given. Now, imagine him with his full bag of tools and especially on this one, with his best defending big man in years.
That’s a modern-day marvel and a horror picture for opposing teams.
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo Will Contend, As He Might Be The League’s Best
If we are focusing on the Defensive Player Of The Year award, itself, it’s going to be difficult but not impossible. Normally, he would have missed too much time but this year, everyone is missing time.
The front runner was and still might be Draymond Green, but now Green is missing a significant chunk of games as well. Another usual suspect in the race is Rudy Gobert, a three-time winner of the award, who will be a victim of voter fatigue as well as his missed time.
This gives Bam a path. He has very talented defensive players around him but that shouldn’t be held against him.
The Heat are a very switchable team and with Adebayo playing the five position, but also switching onto guards when needed, it means that he’s doing a lot of the heavy lifting in various spots on the floor.
Awards are finicky and should be an afterthought to winning. That’s the correct way to approach it and exactly how the Heat are.
You can be sure of it. They only care about one award and that’s the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
If their spectacular play garnishes them some additional hardware along the way— then so be it. That, itself, could be exactly why Bam is a front runner for the DPOY though.
He cares about winning basketball and plays as such. It also just so happens— that his brand of winning defense is among the, if not the very, best in the league.