The Evolution of Bam Adebayo: Creating Moments

Bam Adebayo has had a few games over the last couple months that put a staple on a certain part of his game.

A game saving block at the rim on Jayson Tatum to go up 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals showcased his will to win by making an impact on the defensive end.

A series clinching performance in that same series, where he gave a glimpse of what he’s capable of doing on the offensive end when necessary, scoring 32 points.

And now, the 41 point masterpiece he put on display against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.

That game solidified a bunch of things for this Heat team from all angles. For one, in the big picture, the Miami Heat already have their whale. Of course trying to get more stars is a part of this business, but Bam Adebayo can clearly be that number one guy, even on a team with Jimmy Butler.

Oh and by the way, he’s still 23 years old.

Secondly, it’s the moment many will look back on down the line, as the game Bam figured out who he is as a player. He carries himself as a Jimmy Butler type guy who will just outwork anybody in any room, but there’s one huge difference.

His talent is actually his bigger strength, it just comes down to channeling it to takeover.

Bam Adebayo says, "From now on I need to be ultra aggressive from the start."

— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) January 24, 2021

And it seems as if this may be the turning point in his game for good, as he discussed after the game.

The situation we are witnessing with Bam Adebayo is not very comparable. Usually when a guy has a 40 point night like he did, the first thought is about sustainability or being a fluke, but that’s not the case with this unique talent.

The actual thought is that once an offensive showcase like this was displayed, his game will just take massive leap after massive leap.

This may be the first ever Miami Heat win that didn’t end up in the win column. Of course there’s a certain level of disappointment in themselves when looking at their record even while being short-handed, but what occurred last night holds more importance than any regular season win.

Everybody that has seen Bam play at this NBA level knew he could develop into something incredibly unique in today’s league, but it wouldn’t transpire until he realized it himself.

And well, that time has come.

Whatever happens over the next few months in his overall game, this Brooklyn Nets match-up will continue to be harped on.

The reason Miami hasn’t been in panic mode is because they know their personnel. And they’re aware their evolving young star has a chance at being a completely different player by the time the postseason begins.

And I believe that may be the case.