After a win in Boston on Wednesday night, the Miami heat moved to 49-28 on the season, firmly in the top spot in the East.
Bam Adebayo, who scored 17 on the night, put on another display of greatness, especially on the defensive end.
After the final buzzer, the star big man didn’t hide his feelings about being the best defender in the league.
“I guarded three dudes in one possession,” Adebayo said, forgetting that it was technically four. “And a fan watching it would be like, ‘OK, Bam got the block.’ They probably didn’t see the rest of it. That’s the thing with defense. It’s more than who’s got the most steals or the most blocks.”
“It’s one of those things where, in our game, everybody looks at the final column — how many points did you score or just what’s on that sheet,” Adebayo said. “It’s like that dictates your total impact on the game. And that’s not the way the game works. It’s like defense doesn’t matter, until it does.”
“In my mind, I think I’m the defensive player of the year,” Adebayo said. “To me, defense is all about pride. My teammates let me be who I am because they know that if I put my fingerprints on a game, good things can happen.”
At the very least, Bam deserves some consideration for his efforts on defense. His teammate, P.J. Tucker would agree. Putting stats aside, it’s clear to see what kind of impact he has for the Heat, and how his mere presence on the floor makes it harder for opponents to get an easy shot.
Whether he wins the DPOY or not, there are bigger matters of concern for the Heat. As holders of the best record in the East, they have a real shot to win a championship this season and it would be a shame to waste the opportunity.
No doubt, Adebayo and his elite game on both ends of the floor will be essential to their goals.
