Ranking the 5 players most responsible for the Heat's success next season

2. Bam Adebayo

Here’s the list of players who averaged at least 19 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two stocks (steals + blocks) while shooting at least 50% overall last season: Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo.

That’s elite company. Asking Bam to do much more than that might be unrealistic.

On that list, only Giannis and Davis measure up defensively.

Offensively, Adebayo is the most limited in that group. Adding a reliable 3-point shot, as he started showing at the end of last season and for Team USA in Paris, will narrow the gap but only so much. But he’s a high-level passer and athletic rim-roller who can be unlocked with more consistent guard play.

At 26, Bam continues to get better each season. Eventually, he will become the face of the Heat’s franchise (if he’s not already). But he will always function best as a no. 2 scoring option who can anchor a team with DPOY-caliber defense. 

Make no mistake, that’s an elite player, and one most teams would love to have.