The Miami Heat knew big man Bam Adebayo was extremely special before they drafted him.
Heat general manager Andy Elisburg recently explained what stood out about Adebayo when he was just an NBA prospect.
“We liked him a lot in the draft, Chet Kammerer especially, who was running the draft at the time,” Elisburg said on the Scal and Pals podcast. “… Chet really loved his extraordinary footwork. That was the thing that really attracted him. He said this is a guy who is a big with an ability to move his feet and be out there legitimately defending the perimeter, and it was something he said was very unique in his ability to do that. … As he has come into this league, Bam is the right kind of temperament and he adds to the people that like to win and don’t like to lose, and that has been part of the culture. And it has been terrific watching him grow and become a player.”
The Heat selected Adebayo with the No. 14 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The 23-year-old star has shown major progress every year he’s played in the league. As a matter of fact, he raised his game to All-Star status this season.
During the 2019-20 regular season, Adebayo put up 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He made the All-Star team for the first team in his career.
Now, he’s helping the Heat surge through the postseason. The University of Kentucky product is averaging 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game in the playoffs.
The 6-foot-9 pro brings a unique skillset to the Heat. Although Adebayo sizes up with other big men, he has a stellar ability to pass the ball, hit jump shots and defend guards.
The Heat take on the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday.