What makes Bam Adebayo so good? Three words: passing, screens and switching.
Bam Adebayo is not your average center.
He’s not the greatest rim protector and has yet to extend his range to the three-point line.
While developing those skills would surely take Adebayo’s game to the next level, they aren’t really necessary right now. The Miami Heat currently occupies the third spot in the Eastern Conference, a surprising feat. Plus, he’s an All-Star and boasts a stat line comparable to only reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He has been a key figure in the Heat’s success due to his excellence in three main areas: distributing, screen-setting and lateral quickness.
In one season, Adebayo has become one of the best passing big men in league and arguably in Heat franchise history. Both his per-game assist and potential assist, or passes that lead to shots, fouls or turnovers, numbers rank second among centers. He also happens to be the only center who can say more than 10 percent of his passes turn into assists, according to Second Spectrum.
Adebayo’s ability to initiate the offense as well as affect the game without the ball in his hands puts him in a class of his own. Just watch the way in which coach Erik Spoelstra uses him. He will take an inbound the full length of the court, execute a dribble handoff and if that doesn’t lead to a shot, go set an off-ball screen.
The success as a result of his screen action makes him extremely unique. Using data from Second Spectrum, FiveThirtyEight first reported Duncan Robinson ranks fifth among duos in points per possession when taking a dribble handoff from Adebayo. Similarly, Jimmy Butler has the third highest mark when Adebayo sets him an off-ball screen.
The Kentucky product’s quick feet and 7-foot-23/4-inch wingspan also allow him to guard nearly every position. Among qualified centers, Adebayo not only has the second most switches into one-on-one situations with guards but also allows the fourth-least points per position when defending them in isolation, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Additionally, FiveThirtyEight found that the Heat center’s presence on the floor makes opponent drives the league’s sixth-least efficient offense as supposed to the eight-most efficient when he’s off.
Most teams will be satisfied with a center who grabs boards, protects the paint and, if the play allows, slams a lob. That’s just a testament to how much the NBA has changed.
Adebayo, however, can nearly do it all and Spoelstra knows it. That’s why he utilizes his center in a way that all of his physical gifts shine. Doing so has transformed the Heat into a team that no one wants to see come playoff time.
The scariest part? This is only Adebayo’s first year as a full-time starter.
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 5:59 PM.
