Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo impressive in NBA Summer League debut

Miami Heat first round pick Bam Adebayo flashed previously unseen skill on his way to a solid performance in his first NBA Summer League showing.

The first surprise of the 2017 NBA Draft came when the Miami Heat selected big man Bam Adebayo with the 14th overall pick. Many were shocked due to the fit, as well as the fact that there had been little buzz linking the two parties leading up until then.

However, even though only a few weeks have passed since that night, the doubt is starting to look a bit foolish. With the way he played in his Heat debut, Adebayo is starting to resemble a mid-first round steal for Miami.

In the Heat’s NBA Summer League opener against the Charlotte Hornets Saturday, the former Kentucky big man scored 14 points, secured 10 rebounds (six on the offensive end), dished out two helpers, had a steal and blocked three shots. Adebayo also had six fouls in just over 33 minutes, while shooting 6-for-14 from the field and 2-of-3 from the foul line.

The most exciting part of his showing, without a doubt, was what he did on the perimeter. After mostly taking shots in the paint while in college, Adebayo wowed Heat officials in pre-draft workouts with his ability to knock down jumpers.

Nevertheless, it’s one thing to do that with zero pressure; doing it against actual competition is another matter entirely.

So when the 6’10” center started making it rain on Charlotte, we finally got a chance to see his vast potential firsthand.

Add in his hustle on the offensive glass, the multiple solid screens he set and the three blocked shots, it was all-around a great day for the almost 20-year-old.

Obviously, he is still far from a finished product. His defensive rebounding in particular — which was a weakness of his at Kentucky — wasn’t great. Nonetheless, it was still impressive to see Adebayo show out in his first game as a professional.

If he can make a similar impact against actual NBA competition, he may be even be an upgrade over the soon-to-be-gone Willie Reed.

The only other player worth noting from Miami’s team was Okaro White, who also had a solid day. The former Seminole scored 20 points on 5-of-14 shooting, to go with five rebounds, two threes, three blocks and a steal. It was the exact type of stat-stuffing performance that most expected from a guy who’s actually played in the league before.

Next: Miami Heat -- 5 reasons Bam Adebayo was a good pick

Miami’s Summer League squad plays again Sunday against the Orlando Magic. Until then, we anxiously await word of how Gordon Hayward‘s meeting with the Heat went. Don’t forget to breath, everyone.