The 10 Greatest Heat players in history, ranked by Player Efficiency Rating (PER)

7. Bam Adebayo - 20.0

You could already make the argument that Bam Adebayo is the best defender in Heat history (despite not having won a Defensive Player of the Year award like Alonzo Mourning) and the second-greatest draft pick the franchise has ever made.

Certainly, Adebayo is one of the great development stories in Heat history. Selected with the 14th pick in the 2017 draft, Adebayo came into the league as a raw but athletic rim-rolling big. Some draft analysts questioned his size: Too small to be a full-time NBA center, but without the skillset to be a power forward.

The Heat took a swing and, boy, has it paid off. Adebayo has developed into one of the NBA’s top centers and the cornerstone of a consistently elite defense. Offensively, he has evolved from a rim-roller to a mid-range shot-maker, facilitator and (apparently) a 3-point shooter.

At 26, he took on the role of team captain, a title bestowed upon him by Udonis Haslem. Adebayo earned it, and his remarkable consistency has made him a key part of a Heat core that has made two Finals in the last four seasons.