Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo offered a solid endorsement of the team’s top draft pick, Precious Achiuwa, stating that the rookie is likely to have a better year than he did during his first season.
Adebayo was the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and was largely limited when it came to on-court production during his first two seasons. That was due to the presence of former Heat big man Hassan Whiteside.
However, after Adebayo replaced Whiteside in the starting lineup in the latter part of the 2018-19 season, Adebayo began to blossom into a solid NBA player.
That transformation became evident last season, when he was named to the NBA’s annual All-Star Game for the first time.
Adebayo’s absence for two games of the 2020 finals was devastating to the Heat’s title hopes, with the hope that such disappointment will motivate the team to capture the franchise’s fourth NBA championship this season.
Adding Achiuwa to the roster will help bolster the Heat’s depth. The 20th player taken overall in last month’s draft, Achiuwa is looking to build on his one season at the University of Memphis, when he averaged a double-double with 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
Adebayo and the Heat begin their efforts at getting back to the NBA Finals later this month, with the intrigue surrounding Achiuwa’s potential something to watch.