After a string of poor performances, Bam Adebayo came up big in Miami’s 109-103 win over the Celtics on Saturday.
Speaking on his big play in the pivotal victory, Bam explained why he made sure to lock in for Game 3 and how it helped him drop a 31-point double-double:
“Last couple of games, I haven’t shown up so… I took it upon myself to lock in and win.”
Bam, 24, has emerged as one of the NBA’s best big men. His versatility on both ends of the floor makes him a rare commodity in the NBA. Some executives even rank him as the second-best big man today:
“I think he’s the best big in the league behind Nikola Jokic because of his athletic versatility, his passing, he can play big or small, and guard on the perimeter,” one NBA general manager told HoopsHype. “I’m thinking about the playoffs, not the regular season. He can beat Rudy Gobert down the floor and guard Joel Embiid. He can match up with Giannis Antetokounmpo if the [Milwaukee] Bucks go small. He’s good at preventing guys from getting to their spots and taking comfortable shots. I don’t know what else you want from your five?”
While Adebayo does hold two All-Defensive Team selections, he does not have a DPOY. Of course, that’s not the prize he’s looking for, anyway.
This season, the Adebayo and the Heat have been hyperfocused on winning an NBA Championship and they haven’t let anything stop them so far. But with six wins to go, there are questions about how much longer they’ll be able to last and if they can keep up with whichever squad comes out of the West.
Either way, we will find out soon enough.
