Miami Heat: 5 reasons Bam Adebayo was a good pick

5. Backup center will likely be a need this offseason

Willie Reed, Miami’s backup to Hassan Whiteside, quietly had an excellent 2016-17 campaign.

On the year, Reed averaged 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks a night. He shot 56.8 percent from the floor and 55.7 percent from the foul stripe, while playing 14.5 minutes per game — mundane numbers overall, but when you look at them more closely, you’ll notice they’re a bit more impressive than a quick glance would indicate.

For starters, the Heat were 1.1 points per 100 possessions better with their backup center in the game. Their offense got a bit worse, but their defense tightened up to the tune of allowing 3.1 fewer points per 100 possessions with Reed on the floor.

Furthermore, as the pick-and-roll “roll man,” Reed scored 1.13 points per opportunity (via NBA.com), a mark that eclipsed that of All-NBA First Team member Anthony Davis, and other stud big men like Steven Adams and Marcin Gortat.

Moreover, in mid-January, when Whiteside missed four starts in a row with a lacerated eye (ouch), the former St. Louis center stepped in and acquitted himself wonderfully. In that four-game stretch, Reed averaged 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per contest, while shooting 65.0 percent overall.

All of that is to say: the Heat reserve center is gonna get paid this offseason. And it’s all but certain he’ll find himself on a different team in 2017-18 — even Riley appears to believe so.

So if we factor in his likely eventual departure, taking a center with Adebayo’s attributes at No. 14 makes sense. The former Wildcat probably won’t be as good right away, but over the course of his rookie season, he could make a similar impact to Reed.