If he was personally acclaimed by NBA leaders, being considered as the best coach, as the best manager/motivator, as the best defensive technician and as the one who makes the best adjustments in the middle of a match, Eric Spoelstra did not, however, appreciate the traditional pre-season survey of the league’s 30 GMs.
In this case, to the questions “ Who is the best defender in the NBA? ” And ” Who is the best interior defender in the NBA? “, the name of Bam Adebayo was not mentioned once by the league GMs and coach Heat finds it difficult to accept that his pivot is forgotten like this.
Among the players who received votes, we list Giannis Antetokounmpo (40%), Jrue Holiday (13%), Draymond Green (10%), Marcus Smart (10%), Jaren Jackson Jr. (7%) and finally Kawhi Leonard (7%) for the first question, as well as Jaren Jackson Jr. (30%), Rudy Gobert (17%), Brook Lopez (17%), Anthony Davis (13%), Draymond Green (13%), Giannis Antetokounmpo (7%) and finally Evan Mobley (3%) for second.
“ It’s simply incredible to me “, says Erik Spoelstra. “ I think Bam is the best defender in the league and I just don’t understand why he doesn’t get recognition for the way he carries his weight on that side of the floor. So he’ll have to prove it again this year, until everyone notices. »
The DPOY trophy in the sights?
However, beyond being a double All-Star, Bam Adebayo is a four-time member of an All-Defensive Team, also present in the Top 5 of the ballot for the Defender of the Year trophy for four years.
For Erik Spoelstra, who has already campaigned to send his pivot to the All-Star Game or for him to be elected DPOY, this “forgetting” must serve as a source of motivation within him, with a view to the new exercise…
“ It’s a good reward to get », considers the coach of Miami. “ Lots of trophies can potentially stand in the way of victory, but this one won’t, which is awesome. Bam is just going to have to be who he is, do what he does and perform like a dynamic force on that side of the floor. Then he will be recognized for what he is worth and I hope we have an excellent defense this year and that he will guide us in this sector. »
Reigning NBA finalist with the Heat, Bam Adebayo is coming off the best season of his career (20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.8 blocks), being the cornerstone of the 9th most effective defense in the league (112.8 points conceded over 100 possessions).
| 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 |
| Total | 418 | 29 | 55.4 | 12.9 | 75.5 | 2.2 | 6.3 | 8.5 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 14.7 | |
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.
