Miami Heat: 5 reasons Bam Adebayo was a good pick
By Frank Urbina
The Miami Heat made a surprising decision with the No. 14 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by picking Bam Adebayo out of Kentucky. Here’s why it was the right move.
With the No. 14 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat made one of the most surprising selections of the fist round when they took Kentucky big man Bam Adebayo.
There hadn’t been much noise leading up to draft night paring Miami with the 6’9″ center, and most mock-ups had him going No. 17 or lower.
Initially, the pick was met with either shock or disdain — and sometimes a mixture of both — by fans of the Heat.
Once it was clear that Miami’s two top-priority targets (according to the great Barry Jackson) Luke Kennard and Donovan Mitchell wouldn’t be available, most thought Pat Riley and co. would go with UNC wing Justin Jackson or Wake Forest power forward John Collins to close out the lottery.
The two young men would have filled pressing needs on Erik Spoelstra’s team — the former by adding much-needed size on the wing, and the latter as an athletic freak who plays the Heat’s weakest position (the 4).
So when this happened…
..the preeminent emotional response was one of confusion.
“Who? An undersized center who averaged 13.0 points in college? What?! Why?!”
I won’t lie: My reaction was similar.
However, after letting the dust settle a bit, and really thinking about why the Heat ultimately made their choice, I’ve softened my stance a bit. So, here are five reasons why taking Adebayo with the No. 14 pick was the right decision by Miami.