There’s no question that Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo is one of the NBA’s best defenders. He makes his impact felt on the defensive end every time he steps on the floor.
The youngster already has two All-Defensive Team selections under his belt, but some people think he may have an even more prestigious award coming in his future: Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Heat owner Micky Arison recently made it clear that he feels Adebayo is worthy of the award, and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra seems to believe that Adebayo deserves to be in the mix.
Spoelstra recently heaped tons of praise on Adebayo and compared him to Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green in the process.
“I think he’s deserved to be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo. “He just makes you so dynamic defensively. There’s not many guys in the league that can do what he does — [Warriors forward] Draymond Green, and the list probably stops there.”
Although Adebayo has missed time this season, there’s no telling where the Heat would be without him. In addition to his stellar defense, he’s averaging 18.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field.
The Heat have very real title aspirations this season. If they’re going to get the job done, the 24-year-old will need to play a big role along the way. It certainly seems like he’s up to the task.
Miami currently holds the top spot in the Eastern Conference with an impressive 41-21 record. The team has a two-game lead over the Chicago Bulls and would surely love nothing more than to nab the No. 1 seed in the East heading into the playoffs.
The Heat’s next game will come on the road on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Miami is looking for its fifth straight win.
