Tag Archive for: Bam Adebayo

5 Main Comments from Post-Game Media Scrum with Spoelstra, Butler, Adebayo

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After the Heat’s impressive win against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, a joyful Heat team talked with some media about the game and their chances going forward. Here’s what they had to say…

Post-Game Comment #1:

Jimmy Butler seemed pretty happy with how the team played in their first official game back, especially in the second half. Jimmy said, “We didn’t play our style in the first half.” It was pretty clear that they began to play their style in the second half, when they began to knock down their threes and most importantly attack the basket. This evidently lead to getting to the free throw line, which is definitely Jimmy’s “style.” He also mentioned that they had the mentality of not being complacent. It’s pretty tough to be complacent on this roster with the amount of leadership on the floor.

Post-Game Comment #2:

Bam Adebayo seemed pretty confident in this Heat team’s chances after the game. Bam said, “I feel we can go against everybody.” This attitude seems pretty familiar. Jimmy Butler had said that he felt they can win a championship a few days ago. And that’s because they play on a team with a winning mentality. It is true that they can go against anybody, but they will only go as far as Bam Adebayo takes them. If he plays the way he did today, they’ll be a tough out in this year’s playoffs.

Post-Game Comment #3:

After another offensive display by Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler talked a little about his impact. Jimmy said, “We told Duncan it’s okay to dribble the ball once or twice.” This was pretty clear in today’s game. Duncan seemed much more comfortable in all of the other aspects of the game. His passing improved, his shot-creating improved, and even cut to the basket more times than normal. Jimmy also said that he’s “not just a shooter,” which is something that’s been taken for granted this season. Jimmy ends with “I’m glad he’s on my team.”

Post-Game Comment #4:

Bam Adebayo talked about their defensive strategy when he was on the floor with Jae Crowder. He said, “It became a hassle for the other team.” This was one of the major reasons that their perimeter defense was much better today. After Coach Spo started Jae Crowder over Meyers Leonard, it added much more versatility, and clearly helped Bam Adebayo on the defensive end. Bam also talked about his conditioning in the game. He said, “I did get a little winded,” which will slowly improve the more games they play.

Post-Game Comment #5:

Coach Spo talked about Meyers Leonard regarding a couple of different topics. He began saying, “This is one game. I have not forgotten about Meyers.” He will definitely be utilized based on different match-ups, especially against Brook Lopez and the Milwaukee Bucks. Spo also talked about Meyers standing for the National Anthem. He said, “He has the backing of everyone in the locker room. Everyone knows where his heart is.” Meyers has repeated supported this movement throughout the process and will continue to do so, but will clearly do it in a way that he feels comfortable.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s win against the Denver Nuggets

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The Miami Heat faced off against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday afternoon, which was the first official game of the NBA restart for Miami. The Heat came away with the win 125-105, while the Heat seemed to clean up all of their offensive and defensive issues. Here’s my 5 takeaways from this Heat win…

#1: Bam Adebayo displays his offensive importance.

Bam Adebayo is a clear defensive minded player, which we’ve seen against all types of match-ups all season. But, he showed his offensive importance in today’s game against Nikola Jokic the best way he knows how to. Attacking weaknesses. Bam began to attack the basket on Jokic to start the game, since he lacks on the defensive end. This isn’t all he did for the Heat on offense though. He’s the most important player on the team without the ball in his hands. His off ball screens, on ball screens, and cutting to the basket was all on display today. He’s also an offensive player that is impacted by confidence. When he gets going early, it’s pretty much a wrap for his opponent on defense.

#2: Duncan Robinson continues to be much more than a shooter.

It’s pretty obvious Duncan is one of the league’s best three point shooters. But, he continues to show the improvements in the other aspects of the game, especially his passing. Bam Adebayo has played a major role in the improvements in his play-making. Bam and Duncan have been deadly off of dribble hand-offs this season, but they are starting to expand this scheme even more. After defenders have learned not to leave any space between Duncan Robinson, he has learned to not only make the pass to Bam, but sell the shot. This is the first time he’s showcased this side of his game, since he’s getting much more comfortable with his shot faking. Now the only thing left for him to improve is on the defensive side of the ball.

#3: Heat’s efficient free-throw shooting holds more importance than usual.

The biggest thing you can takeaway from this game is the amount of foul calls. This is most likely due to the no fans aspect, since referees can hear everything on the floor. And well, this seems to favor Miami. Jimmy Butler has had no problem attacking the basket and getting to the line all season, but what was key today is the fact that he was knocking them down. The Heat went 32/37 from the free throw line, which seems to be much more important than usual. And when the game slows down even more in the playoffs, we may see even more foul calls, especially with the many physical players on this Heat roster.

#4: Erik Spoelstra’s tinkering with Heat’s rotation pays off. 

It was a bit of a surprise that Erik Spoelstra took Meyers Leonard out of the rotation for Jae Crowder, since that starting lineup had such success this season. But, it seemed to payoff since Crowder hit some big shots in the third quarter, which played a major role in expanding the lead. Spoelstra also seems to play guys that perform well together. This includes Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynyk, Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson, and Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. This is why those scrimmage games were so important for Miami. It gave Erik Spoelstra a sample of what to expect in this environment and forced him to adjust, which is something he does better than any coach in the league.

#5: Miami shows improvements with perimeter defense.

The Heat have known that their biggest issue this season has been perimeter defense. But, they seemed to polish this up a bit today against Denver. The Nuggets shot 8/35 from deep, which definitely makes the Heat feel good after those sloppy scrimmage games. This may be due to the rotation change that Spoelstra made, replacing Meyers Leonard with Jae Crowder. The more versatility on the floor, the less your defense will struggle. Even Duncan Robinson showed some good defensive stretches throughout this game. These defensive improvements may have a little something to do with the lack of shooting in the rotation for Denver, due to Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, and Will Barton not playing. Either way, this gives this Heat team confidence and momentum heading into three straight games against the top 3 teams in the East.

5 Things to Watch in Miami Heat’s First Official Game

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The Miami Heat will be playing their first official regular season game of the NBA restart on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are a tough game to start out against for the Heat since they are pretty strong defensively. Well, here’s some things to look out for in Saturday’s game…

#1: The Heat need good interior defense to beat this Nuggets team.

The Miami Heat have struggled this season with their perimeter defense, mostly at the point of attack. Well, this Denver Nuggets team will challenge them on the interior. Miami’s bigs will have to deal with not only one of the best centers in the league in Nikola Jokic, but also the rest of their lengthy bigs off of the bench. Meyers Leonard will probably see most of the match-up against Jokic, but Bam will probably get some possessions on him in the fourth quarter. The containment of Jokic in this game is important since this is a similar match-up they may see in a series against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. Instead of countering Nikola Jokic all game with Meyers Leonard, Erik Spoelstra will need to go stretches with Bam as the center, since he can attack Jokic’s weaknesses on defense.

#2: Kendrick Nunn getting back to his old self.

Kendrick Nunn has been trying to get back into mid-season form since arriving to the bubble late after testing positive for Covid-19. He was a little rusty in the two scrimmage games he played, but the more games he plays, the better he will look. In the second scrimmage, Kendrick scored 5 points on 29% shooting, and in the third scrimmage he scored 6 points on 20% shooting. He will definitely look to pick that back up, especially since he will be out there on the floor with one of the most productive starting lineups in the league. He also is a major part of the offense since he can attack the rim and control the mid-range, which is something the Heat haven’t done a lot of on offense in these scrimmage games.

#3: Miami’s offensive players will receive more minutes.

As mentioned previously, Miami’s defense has been the biggest problem throughout the season, but their offense has enough firepower to exceed their defensive struggles in this game. This is because Denver has seemed to have the exact opposite problem than the Heat. Denver has been pretty strong defensively this season, but has struggled at times on offense. The Nugget’s offense only goes as far as Jamal Murray takes them, which may be a problem for the Heat since they’ve struggled against similar guards. But, Miami will most likely look to beat this team the way they know how to. Shooting the ball. For example, we will probably see more Kelly Olynyk minutes than Derrick Jones Jr minutes since they will just try to straight up outscore this Denver team.

#4: Heat’s depth must outweigh Denver’s depth.

One of Miami’s biggest strengths of the team has been their solid depth. But, Denver is one of those teams that has pretty solid depth themselves. They do have a lot of guys injured at the moment, which may hurt their depth, but they have the kind of role players that seem to break out against the Heat. Miami’s bench will need to outperform Denver’s bench if they want to win this game. Plain and simple. The Nugget’s offense has tailed off this season when the bench unit enters the floor, which it seems as if it improves when Miami does it at times. If Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Jae Crowder, and others can get a rhythm going early, they will most likely win this game. But on the other hand, if Denver’s bench out performs Miami, it’ll be a hard game to win once NIkola Jokic and Jamal Murray enter back in.

#5: A Jimmy Butler offensive display.

Jimmy Butler has shown that his strengths are basically everything other than scoring this year, since he can play-make and defend at such an elite level. Well, he showed what he can do offensively in the last scrimmage game when he scored 18 points 80% shooting. This is what the Heat need Jimmy to do once the postseason comes around. The team trusts him scoring the ball, the coaches trust him scoring the ball, the fans trust him shooting the ball. But, Jimmy needs to trust himself scoring the ball. He obviously needs to continue to play-make and defend as his number one option, but will need to have scoring confidence at ends of games when the team needs him. If Miami begins to have trouble with Denver’s physical defense, look for Jimmy Butler to step up as the elite scorer that he is in this game.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss in Final Scrimmage Game

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The Miami Heat had quite a rough showing in their final scrimmage game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Miami lost 128-110, which left the team with a negative note heading into the regular season games. Here are my five takeaways from this game…

#1: Defense continues to look problematic.

Miami’s defense has been one of the biggest questions for the Heat heading into the bubble. And well, this still stands. Perimeter defense has been the biggest problem since there’s a lack of defensive guards on this Heat team. Jimmy Butler and Derrick Jones Jr will definitely get a load of opposing team’s back-courts due to the lack of point of attack defense. There was also some trouble with interior defense since there was a physical big on the court in Jonas Valanciunas. But the biggest takeaway is something that Duncan Robinson said after the game, “defensive connection.” This seemed to be the major defensive issue in today’s performance.

#2: Turnovers are Miami’s biggest downfall.

Turnovers are just one of the issues in tonight’s performance, but it’s something we’ve seen in all three scrimmages. Most of these turnovers seem to come from costly and forced passes. This may be due to the fact that guys like Jimmy are trying to get everyone back in rhythm, since he had 5 turnovers in today’s scrimmage. It also may be due to the increased speed in these games in the bubble. These games are much like summer league games, which is a constant display of pushing the ball. More offensive possessions means more turnovers. Either way, this is something the Heat will need to touch up while they get closer and closer to the postseason.

#3: Veterans hold the Heat’s key to success.

There was a lot of discussion before play began in the bubble on whether veterans or young guys would benefit more. Well, these scrimmages have proved that its veterans definitely benefit much more. Many believe this is just an experience thing, but I think it may be due to no fans in the stands. These young guys are so used to feeding off of the crowd. One example would be Tyler Herro. Most of his impressive scoring stretches this year have been at home games, and at times when the crowd is into the game. This just proves that their should never be a time when one of Jimmy Butler, Andre Igyuodala, and Goran Dragic are not on the court.

#4: Spoelstra is still finding lineups with chemistry.

During these three scrimmage games, there’s been certain lineups that just don’t fit well together. Guys like Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynyk, or Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo, have proved to have natural chemistry and efficiency when on the court together. But, it’s been obvious that Goran Dragic and Kendrick Nunn don’t have the best of numbers when they share the court. This is definitely something that Coach Spo has kept track of. Also, the zone defense is definitely impressive at times, but should only be used with certain lineups. There’s been many times where they put their defensive wings up top, but leave Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic down low. This lead to many points in the paint, and will continue to be problematic if not utilized correctly.

#5: Jimmy Butler looked smooth on offense.

Although Jimmy Butler only played 22 minutes today, he put on one of his best offensive showings in a while. But the most essential part about it was the efficiency. Efficiency has been in question when talking abut Jimmy Butler, especially since he’s become more of a play-maker than a scorer with the Heat. This may be due to Bam Adebayo returning to the lineup alongside Jimmy, which they played most of their minutes together on the floor today. If Jimmy could keep this up on the offensive side of the ball and the Heat can polish up on defense, they will be a tough out come playoff time.

5 Main Comments from Media Scrum with Spoelstra, Adebayo, Crowder

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The Heat had another late practice Monday night, in preparation for the Heat’s third and final scrimmage game. Coach Erik Spoelstra gave a clearer outlook on the Heat’s lineup for the scrimmage game, while Bam Adebayo touched on a much more important topic. Here’s what they had to say…

Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra talked about the return of Bam Adebayo to the lineup after he tested positive for corona virus. He said, “He’s had several good days of rock solid work.” This was one of the main reasons Bam didn’t play Saturday. He had just arrived and didn’t have a chance to get in game shape. But now, he’s starting to look like he’s in mid-season form since he stayed in shape during the hiatus. Spoelstra also adds, “He will play.” This is one of the biggest things Heat fans want to get a look at again. They want to see their developing superstar back out their on the court wearing that red and black.

Comment #2:

Spoelstra mentions that everyone will be available tomorrow for the scrimmage, except rookie KZ Okpala. This seems to clear up a lot of misconception for Heat fans since they’ve been waiting to see him get some minutes. It’s like fans fully expect him to be a star, and how can you blame them since it seems every young guy the Heat get turns into one. KZ will most likely not see the court during their time in the bubble, but it’s probably for the best. Not only give him time to fully heal, but also time to fully understand the league. Duncan Robinson didn’t see the court in his rookie year, which he spent doing exactly what Okpala is doing now. Don’t be surprised if KZ Okpala comes out of no where next year to be a key player off the bench.

Comment #3:

Spoelstra talks about how this environment has been treating them and what he expects from the team. He begins saying that he’s been telling players to leave their rooms or stop playing video games. This almost seems as if this was aimed at a particular person. Maybe not. But either way, as long as they are producing on the court, that’s all that really matters. He also says he suggested players to go out and play golf. Goran Dragic seemed to take advantage of the opportunity which he played golf for the first time ever. Spoelstra ends with, “It’s been easier to focus on your team. And even for the guys. Life is simple here.” Although it’s all focus for this Heat team, this may not be the case for every team in the bubble. The teams still here in October will be lead by guys that are the most mentally tough and “focused.”

Comment #4:

Jae Crowder got to discuss tomorrow’s scrimmage as well, which he seems to know a lot about. When Jae talked about playing his old team in Memphis, he said “I’m going to take it very serious.” He adds that they want to put it together as a team and play the right way in these games. Kelly Olynyk has seemed to “play the right way” in these games, which Jae said has really helped him out with the second unit. He raves about Kelly’s versatility since they can use different sets against other defenses. He also began to rave about Tyler Herro, which he said his confidence is what surprised him so much. What I took from what Jae said during this time is his positivity in himself with the second unit. Between his high praise in Kelly and Tyler, and his learning from Goran and Andre, he truly believes this will be a X-factor for this team.

Comment #5:

Bam Adebayo got to talk with some media tonight as well, but in a much different sense. He took the road of answering every question with getting justice for Breonna Taylor. Getting this message across to both media and fans is truly essential. He wants to make sure that this stays on people’s minds, especially since this is a much more important discussion than talking about how practice went. Bam and others have been vocally active on social justice issues since their arrival, which is the main goal for the NBA as a whole during their time in the bubble. Bam ends with the quote that everybody not only needs to support, but act upon. “Black Lives Matter, people.”

 

5 Main Comments from Media Availability with Spoelstra, Adebayo, Nunn

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Heat’s starters Kendrick Nunn and Bam Adebayo finally arrived to Orlando on Tuesday. And after 48 hours of quarantining, they’re back on the practice floor. After a light practice night for Kendrick and Bam, they got to talk with some media about both their readiness and this Heat team’s odds. Here’s what they had to say…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Spoelstra began talking about the availability of Nunn and Adebayo in Saturday’s scrimmage game. He said “I’m open to it.” This definitely means that both Nunn and Adebayo showed good signs in practice in the bubble if they’re already ready for the games. Spo did also say that “They worked intelligently today in practice,” and mentioned that they put a ton of time in May and June which put them in this position. Both Bam and Nunn add a huge spark to their respective sides of the ball. With the addition of Nunn’s scoring and Bam’s defense, it’ll be interesting to see how they come back.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Coach Spoelstra got asked about the fact that this environment may impact shooters in a much more positive way. He responded, “I believe in our shooters. Our shooters are elite.” This seemed to be evidently true in Wednesday’s scrimmage game against the Kings. Especially for Duncan Robinson. But Spo also added to this question saying that he’s actually heard the exact opposite about the shooting in this environment, but says, “I’ll take it.” Well, if it’s harder for some shooters, it definitely doesn’t apply to this Heat roster after what we saw in their first game back.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Nunn began his discussion with media talking about the process of having Covid-19. He said he had mild symptoms and he feels pretty strong. Nunn also mentioned one of the biggest helps during this stretch was keeping in contact with Bam Adebayo since it was “the same routine trying to get over Covid.” But on the basketball side of things, Kendrick seemed pretty positive about his return to the court. He said he will definitely try to “persuade” Spo to let him play tomorrow. This will be a very big improvement to the offense, especially since it brings a guy who can attack the rim and control the mid-range, which is something we didn’t see on Wednesday.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

After Adebayo talked about his experience with Covid-19 as well, which he described as “boring,” he began to talk about this Heat teams odds. He says their goal doesn’t change just because they took some time off. He says, “Our ultimate goal is to win a championship, that’s the mindset.” That is the “mindset” of this team in general since that is pretty similar to what Jimmy Butler said about this team a few days prior. It’s great to hear Bam continue to have this mindset even with the many distractions he’s had to deal with. He said he felt scared today during practice since he hasn’t played.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Adebayo got to talk about the expectation coming into the season for him and how that’s impacted him. He says, “Got my opportunity now I gotta produce.” That’s another great example of the “mindset” of this young star. He knows how good he can be, especially since the work ethic with him is no problem. Adebayo also says that the biggest motivation for him was the doubters that didn’t think he could be what he wanted to be.  He says, “I wanted to prove them wrong.” This is definitely what he did, since he wasn’t even looked at as a top 15 center coming into the season, and is now a top 5 center at only 23 years old. He ends his media session saying, “Alright everybody don’t forget, Black Lives Matter.” Though Bam says the ultimate goal is a championship, the real ultimate goal is to get this message across since it truly is “Bigger than Basketball.”

Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn Back with Heat in Orlando

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Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn have officially arrived in the Orlando bubble to join the Miami Heat.

Both Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn were delayed to the fact that both tested positive for Covid-19. Now that they’ve arrived, they will need to quarantine for at least 36 hours and receive two negative tests.

Bam and Nunn will also not be playing in Wednesday’s scrimmage game against the Sacramento Kings. But if their quarantining goes according to plan, they should be ready to go by the second scrimmage on Saturday.

This news was reported by the 5 reasons sports network over the weekend….

What this means for the team?

Bam Adebayo is currently the Heat’s most irreplaceable piece on the team, which is why his return is so important. Bam’s defensive duties for this team goes without saying, but his presence is what is key. He’s an eye sore for other teams on both sides of the ball. And of course, his positive personality will light up the Heat’s practice room whenever.

Kendrick Nunn on the other hand is one of Miami’s talented go to scorers. He has been an important piece to this team all season since there’s been some rough patches with the point guard position. Though his jumper has been streaky at times, his ability to attack the rim and keep his confidence from midrange was revelatory for a rookie, as he broke through the rookie wall just before the Covid-19 break.

It goes without saying that it’s a big deal when two of your starters go out in any circumstance. But the most important thing with their arrival for this team is their locker room presence. This gives the team confidence that it has enough to compete with anyone. No wonder Erik Spoelstra’s been smiling.

One View of Where Miami Heat Players Rank

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Bleacher Report has been ranking the top 15 players at each position throughout this week. And it’s pretty promising for Heat fans. The Miami Heat players placed three times on these top 15 lists.

Having two starters be placed as small forwards might not make much sense, but this is their list not ours.

Either way, here’s where the Heat players were placed…

#14 Small Forward: Duncan Robinson

Duncan Robinson has been one of the most surprising players in the NBA this season. Coming into the season, nobody even thought he’d be getting playing time, let alone start. As mentioned by Bleacher Report, Stephen Curry and Steve Novak are the only players in league history to match his volume and efficiency from three.

His importance to this team as a Heat player by his outstanding shooting ability is what catapulted him to 14 on this list. As seen throughout the season, even if he’s not helping the offense with his shooting, he helps by opening up the floor for others once he begins to get double teamed out on the perimeter. It should also make Heat fans happy that he was ranked one spot higher than a familiar opponent, TJ Warren.

#3 Small Forward: Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler has been one of the most consistent stars on these lists throughout the last few years. He ranked three on this list, only behind LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. This makes Jimmy the number one small forward in the East this season. It’s great that they acknowledge how great he’s been this season without just viewing stats.

Though he’s had a pretty great stat line this season other than his shooting, his defense and leadership is what puts him in this elite category. The playoffs is what will truly separates him from others since the player ranked one spot behind him, Khris Middleton, seems to shrink in playoff games. And Jimmy being 12 spots higher than TJ Warren truly proves “he’s not in his league.”

#5 Center Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo edging his way into the top 5 centers in only his third season is truly remarkable, especially because he doesn’t really start at center when Meyers Leonard is healthy. The players who ranked above him were Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert. When they did this same exact list at the start of the season, these were the top four centers.

But Bam wasn’t ranked in the top 5. He wasn’t even ranked in the top 15. The jump he made in a matter of months is something you don’t see very often. What makes Bam so intriguing is that he has the ability of being an offensive guy like Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic. And he also has the defensive capabilities of Rudy Gobert. His ceiling is a mixture of the four players listed above him. This has the team, fans, and the league all excited about his future.

 

Who Gets Last Spot on All-NBA Team, Butler or Adebayo?

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When looking at the All-NBA teams for this 2020 season, it seems as if the final forward spot will either go to Bam Adebayo or Jimmy Butler. The two have been one of the better duos in the league this season. They both have been equally important to this Miami Heat team, but who gets the edge?

First off, the position placings are a big unknown when discussing the All-NBA teams. For example, is Bam Adebayo a Center or a Forward. Well, Bam has played 58% of his minutes at forward this season which is why I’m leaning towards that.

Now, to get the five forwards ahead of them out of the way, those players will most likely be: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, and Jayson Tatum. This is another instance where position becomes a factor since there’s question around Anthony Davis being a Power Forward or Center. But, he played 64% of his minutes at forward for the Los Angelas Lakers this season.

But who has the portfolio advantage between Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler for the last slot?

The Last All-NBA Slot

Jimmy Butler averaged over 20 points per game this year, even with the shooting struggles he had throughout the season. He also displayed his play-making ability at an elite level this year, averaging six assists per game which was a career high. And of course, he has all of the things that are not shown in a stat sheet. The leadership, the unselfishness. With all of these factors, he’s no question an All-NBA team level player.

And now, Bam Adebayo. Bam has had an incredible breakout year, leading the way for the most improved player award. He averages 16 points per game and over 10 rebounds a game. But even with these amazing stats, this isn’t his most noticed attribute. It’s his defense. Bam has shown that he is an elite level defender, especially on the perimeter. A definite boost to his all NBA case was his impact against some of the best teams and players this season. He shut down key players including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pascal Siakam and Joel Embiid. Which is always going to be a strong case.

With all of this information, it seems as if Bam Adebayo will end up getting the edge. For one, if you asked Jimmy Butler who he thinks should get it, he would no doubt say Bam. Also, there’s always a couple of players in the league who have that likable personality that media and coaches lean towards. Bam is that guy. Coaches like him, players like him, and the league likes him. When discussing the two, everyone seems to lean Bam.

This will be great to top off Bam Adebayo’s outstanding regular season play.

 

ESPN Ranks the Miami Heat Below a Familiar Opponent

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ESPN ranks came out with a new NBA power rankings list late last night that included a questionable placing: the Philadelphia 76ers over the Miami Heat.

For starters, a good portion of this ESPN ranks list was mainly placed based on the team’s record. Except this particular team. A 6th seed 76ers team was ranked two spots higher than the 4th seed Miami Heat.

Maybe this was because Philadelphia was better head to head. Oh wait, the Heat were 3-1 against them this year.

Maybe it’s because Philadelphia has the best player on the floor between these two teams. Oh wait, the Miami Heat have Jimmy Butler.

This could go on and on but the truth is, there’s no reason to have them higher as of right now. The only true argument would be that they are healthier. But so is Miami.

And how could a team be ranked 7th in the NBA when the team’s two best players play better when the other is off of the floor?

But at least we know now, ESPN is “trusting the process.”

For the record, here’s what ESPN’s Nick Friedell said about the Heat:

Is the bubble atmosphere perfect for the Heat?
Jimmy Butler has always believed that he could be the face of a championship-caliber team, despite some doubts across the league that his game is better suited for a secondary role. He has his chance now, as the Heat — who have cultivated a basketball-centric culture for years — believe they come into the bubble with a competitive advantage, given how business-like their mindset is. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra believes the bubble environment can bring the best out of Butler. — Nick Friedell

Remaining schedule: DEN, TOR, BOS, MIL, PHX, IND, OKC, IND