Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo had a hilarious reaction on social media to Haywood Highsmith’s agent – Jerry Dianis – taking a shot at Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.
Dianis said that he believes Highsmith can be one of the top defensive players in the league going forward since he can guard multiple positions.
“Haywood will be a perennial All-Defensive player going forward,” Dianis said. “What’s really special about him is his versatility. His size, strength and 7-foot-1 wingspan allow him to guard one through five. Rudy Gobert is the Defensive Player of the Year, but he can’t guard Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kyrie Irving or Paolo Banchero. Haywood does that and it gives a Hall of Fame coach like Erik Spoelstra a big advantage.”
Dianis’ comments incited a post from Adebayo, who used a meme of Heat legend Shaquille O’Neal to show some love towards the agent.
Gobert won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year in the 2023-24 season, but he was exposed by Doncic in the Western Conference Finals in an isolation situation, which led to a game-winning shot by the Dallas Mavericks star.
Adebayo, who is a five-time All-Defensive selection but has yet to win a Defensive Player of the Year award, may feel that he was overlooked for the award in the past in favor of Gobert. Adebayo has finished in the top five in the voting for the Defensive Player of the Year award in each of the last five seasons.
During the 2023-24 season, Adebayo averaged 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game and finished third in the voting for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Highsmith could be a key part for the Heat going forward, especially if Miami ends up losing forward Caleb Martin in free agency.
During the 2023-24 season, Highsmith appeared in 66 games for the Heat and averaged 6.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from 3-point range.
“Haywood is an ascending player,” Dianis said. “He’s 27 years old and durable. He also guards the other team’s best player every night. Combine that with 40 percent from three-point range and he is going to be one of the more highly coveted three-and-D players in free agency. He just wants to win championships.”
It seems that Highsmith has Adebayo in his corner as he looks to get a new deal done this offseason. Hopefully, it is a deal to remain in Miami and help Adebayo and the Heat chase a title this season.