During the summer and again during this season, Bam Adebayo is more focused on physical preparation. Whether it's physical exercises or recovery, the Miami pivot is trying to do more than in previous years. Why is that ? Because the loss in the 2023 Finals against the Nuggets served as a revelation.
“That’s what struck me when the buzzer sounded,” he remembers for ESPN. “When you get to the Finals, there are two things that matter: who will make the fewest mistakes and which team is the least injured. There are many things that explain our setback. »
More attention on physical glitches
To avoid arriving in spring with minor injuries, Bam Adebayo is preparing now. “That’s one of the things I learned: you have to take care of the little muscles. It's the little things that count. »
You also have to preserve your body during the regular season. Hit in the left hip from the first days of competition, he gritted his teeth until the end of November, before giving in and remaining in the infirmary for more than two weeks.
“The coach kind of forced my hand, telling me to miss matches. Throughout my career, I tried to play despite the worries, not to think about them and when you play, you forget about them. »
This work and this new moderation are paying off. Bam Adebayo is having the best season of his career with 22 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4 assists on average. For the first two statistics, these are his career bests.
Moreover, since the start of his career, he has systematically improved his points average, season after season.
“I look at my numbers and wonder how to do better. Instead of being at 20 points, how can we go up to 23? Instead of 9 rebounds, how do I turn to 11? How to go from 3 to 5 passes? From 0.8 to 1.4. »
Progress to be respected
And we return to shadow work.
“We start to calculate, to focus on preparation, on the number of times we go to the gym. You have to take care of your body during the summer, to gain weight, to become stronger. »
The objective is obviously to win the title, which has eluded the player and Miami twice in a few years, in 2020 then 2023, but also to gain respect. An already clearly visible success: Bam Adebayo is a double All-Star.
“I want everyone in the league to respect my game. I want everyone to hope to see me miss my shots. We work for that. I want people to think it's obvious to see me on an All-NBA Team. It's not for money that I do all this, it's mainly for the respect of my peers and everyone. »
Although money also comes into play. If he makes an All-NBA Team at the end of the season, he will be eligible for a $245 million contract extension next summer…
“We cannot forget these kinds of figures”concludes Bam Adebayo. “The amount of money we make today is ridiculous. I come from a background where my mother and I got by with a simple caravan in a rural area. You think about how many lives you can change. So that plays a role, it's important, but it's not the only reason why I'm pursuing this goal. »
| Bam Adebayo | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | MIA | 69 | 20 | 51.2 | 0.0 | 72.1 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 6.9 |
| 2018-19 | MIA | 82 | 23 | 57.6 | 20.0 | 73.5 | 2.0 | 5.3 | 7.3 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 8.9 |
| 2019-20 | MIA | 72 | 34 | 55.7 | 14.3 | 69.1 | 2.4 | 7.8 | 10.2 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 15.9 |
| 2020-21 | MIA | 64 | 34 | 57.0 | 25.0 | 79.9 | 2.2 | 6.7 | 9.0 | 5.4 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 18.7 |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 56 | 33 | 55.7 | 0.0 | 75.3 | 2.5 | 7.6 | 10.1 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 19.1 |
| 2022-23 | MIA | 75 | 35 | 54.0 | 8.3 | 80.6 | 2.5 | 6.7 | 9.2 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 20.4 |
| 2023-24 | MIA | 23 | 34 | 50.6 | 16.7 | 77.7 | 2.1 | 8.3 | 10.4 | 4.0 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 22.0 |
| Total | 441 | 30 | 55.0 | 13.2 | 75.7 | 2.2 | 6.4 | 8.6 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 15.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
