Miami Heat: 5 reasons Bam Adebayo was a good pick
By Frank Urbina
4. Adebayo played well against elite defenses in college
A good way to gauge how effective a prospect will be as a professional is to see how he does when facing elite defenses while in college.
Thankfully, as a member of one of the nation’s true blue blood programs, Adebayo played in his fair share of big games.
Over the course of the 2016-17 season, Kentucky faced five teams ranked top 13 in defensive efficiency (according to KenPom), seven different times. Those teams were North Carolina (twice), Florida (twice), South Carolina, Louisville and Wichita State. What’s more, two of those games came with the highest stakes possible, as NCAA Tournament showdowns.
In those seven matchups, Adebayo surpassed his season clips across the board, averaging 13.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game on 56.9 percent shooting. He also attempted nearly 10 free throws a night in those games, forcing defenders to foul as he bullied his way down low.
His best performance against a topnotch defense came on Jan. 21, at home against the Gamecocks. That night, he scored 18 points, threw down five dunks and went 8-for-12 from the foul stripe.
Overall, Adebayo’s strongest skills — finishing in the paint and throwing down alleys — helped him excel in Kentucky’s toughest matchups.
Likewise, those skills should translate well in the NBA, as playing with distributors like Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters (provided the latter re-signs with Miami) will set up him for multiple easy looks a night.