If Bam Adebayo is not considered one of the three best defensive players in the league (or a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award), it may be time to rethink the entire voting process and maybe abolish the recognition altogether.
The NBA released the list of finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year award voting, and Bam was nowhere to be found. The three finalists were Chet Holmgren, Ausar Thompson, and Victor Wembanyama.
Bam Adebayo is snubbed from the DPOY finalists
While Bam's snub is not all that surprising, the fact that Bam continues to be disrespected at nearly every turn has officially gotten out of hand, and it's something that Miami Heat fans should absolutely be furious about.
And it goes well beyond the DPOY snub. Looking back to Bam's biggest accomplishment of the season, scoring 83 points in a game, there were many who were quick to tear it down. For one reason or another, Bam didn't get the unanimous praise that he probably should've gotten.
Not being a finalist for the DPOY award is just the next example of this ongoing disrespect from around the league.
Bam was the defensive anchor for a top defense
Considering the roster that Bam had to carry on the defensive end in Miami, that alone should've given voters all the evidence they needed to give him his flowers. Add in the fact that the Heat were a top 5 defensive unit for much of the season, and it's pretty insane for Bam to not get at least some credit for that.
He may not have the blocked shots and the outrageous rebounding numbers, but when it comes to pure defensive anchor, at the heart of a team's defense, there aren't many, if any, that can put it all together on that end of the floor like Bam.
Sure, the Heat pretty much fell apart down the stretch, and particularly on the defensive end, but that had more to do with the team around Bam than him. And that's some context that should be taken into account when deciding these awards.
Instead, that wasn't weighed and Bam finds himself on the short end of the stick again.
From a macro point of view, it's pretty insulting that Bam has never won a Defensive Player of the Year award in his career. The fact that he's only finished once in the top 3 voting is quite jarring.
In a vacuum, there's an argument to be made that Bam could be considered one of the more versatile (and dominant) defenders in the league. Still, that doesn't seem to be enough to give him the recognition he deserves.
At this point, the constant disrespect of Bam is not surprising. That doesn't mean it's acceptable. Something needs to change. But it's not Bam. Heat fans know how good Bam is; it's just frustrating that the rest of the NBA fails to admit it, too.
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