Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo was in the midst of a breakout year before the NBA season was suspended on March 11.
His improved play this season currently has him as the betting favorite for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award on the FanDuel Sportsbook.
Adebayo (-140) leads a group that includes New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (+260), Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic (+550) and Charlotte Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham (+1100), who have all had fantastic seasons themselves.
In just his third season, Adebayo has seen his numbers spike across the board. He is averaging 16.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game during the 2019-20 season.
It is a huge leap from his 2018-19 campaign where he averaged 8.9 points, 7.3 boards and 2.2 assists per game.
The Heat have made it a priority to get Adebayo more involved, as he has started every game this season. Miami has also increased the center’s minutes. He is up to 34.4 minutes per game this season after having played just 23.3 per game last year.
The Heat may have found a franchise cornerstone in the 22-year-old Adebayo, who recently said he and his teammates are eager to return to the court.
The NBA’s long hiatus due to COVID-19 may have broken up Adebayo’s monster campaign, but he will get a chance to build on it when the season resumes at the end of next month.