Miami Heat: 5 reasons Bam Adebayo was a good pick
By Frank Urbina
3. Upside is through the roof
The Heat, picking at No. 14, were commonly linked to a couple of prospects leading up to the draft: Justin Jackson and T.J. Leaf. Obviously, they passed on both, with Jackson going 15th overall to the Sacramento Kings and Leaf 18th to the Indiana Pacers.
Both guys received Miami scuttle because they would have fill obvious holes on the Heat’s roster — the former on the wing and the latter as a stretch-4.
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Well, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, Riley’s team didn’t love either player’s upside. Specifically on J. Jackson, B. Jackson wrote, “Miami passed on North Carolina’s Jackson because of concerns about his athleticism and whether he could create his own offense.”
Meanwhile, Leaf does have bounce, but lacks size and bulk, so his future as a full-time starting power forward is murky.
Thus, the Heat went with someone who they felt had more potential in Adebayo.
The 6’9″ center turns 20 in late July, making him one of the youngest prospects in the 2017 class. There’s a solid chance he can grow another couple of inches as he develops physically.
Plus, as is, he’s already an athletic freak. After weighing in at 243 pounds at the recent NBA Combine, Adebayo posted a 38.5-inch max vert in the testing portion of the event — ridiculous for a man of his stature.
Upon reviewing the tape, his hops definitely translate in actual games too:
Add in the fact that in pre-draft workouts he showed off a jumper that not many knew he had (according to Riley, he went 30-for-50 from three in front of Heat officials), and his upside as an explosive center with range could make him the steal of the late lottery.