Bam Adebayo on verge of becoming next star for Miami Heat

Although it’s just four games into the season, it certainly appears that Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo is on the verge of stardom.

With Hassan Whiteside jettisoned over the offseason, it was expected that given the freedom of a permanent starting role that Bam Adebayo would take the next step in his early career. And while it’s just four games into the 2019-20 season, the hierarchy of the Miami Heat couldn’t be happier from what they’ve witnessed thus far with their young center.

Overtaking Whiteside towards the end of the last season as the starting center, Adebayo made an immediate impact, with the Heat posting an 11-4 record in March, the first full month with Adebayo as the man in the middle.

Fast forward to this season, and the 22-year-old has more than embraced the added responsibility. Through the first four games, Adebayo is averaging 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals in 31.7 minutes per game.

Recording a double-double in three of the four contests thus far, Adebayo has particularly excelled on the offensive end when facing the basket.

While an extremely small sample size, Abebayo is thus far shooting 8-of-10 from between 5-14 feet from the rim, with his ability to hit running floaters over his opponent an increasingly improving aspect of his game. In fact, here’s how this compares to the first two seasons of his career:

Adebayo shooting 5-14 feet

• 2017-18: 29.2 percent
• 2018-19: 35.7 percent
• 2019-20: 80.0 percent

However, it’s at the defensive end in which Adebayo sets himself apart from most big men in the league. With his ability to guard virtually any type of player on the floor, Adebayo’s elite mix of lateral quickness, athleticism and sheer explosion provides head coach Erik Spoelstra the luxury of utilizing his big man in a multitude of defensive settings.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1188440209039470592?s=20

At the completion of his fourth game of the season, Adebayo ranked third in the league in deflections, fourth in box outs and sixth in loose balls recovered. Additionally, per NBA.com, the former Kentucky star has held his direct opponent to a 37.0 shooting clip during this early span.

Following the Heat recent 126-121 win in overtime over the Milwaukee Bucks, Spoelstra lauded the late defensive effort of Adebayo, in which he sprinted the length of the court for a crucial block on Bucks’ guard Eric Bledsoe:

"“Bam’s block is one of the best plays that I’ve seen. Tracking him down 90 feet, you’re talking about a really fast explosive guard that he tracked down.”"

In addition to his versatility at the defensive end, it’s Adebayo’s ability to act as an additional playmaker that truly sets him apart from his predecessor in Whiteside. Through four games, Adebayo has totaled 19 assists, which ranks second on the team only to starting point guard Justise Winslow.

Furthermore, Adebayo’s 25 screen assists through four games rank second overall in the league.

Given the Heat have been 7.4 points per 100 possessions better off defensively with him on the floor this season, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Adebayo’s 31.7 minutes per game increased, considering he’s averaging just 3.0 fouls per game.

Clearly in the early running for the annual Most Improved Player award, the fortunes of the Miami Heat this season are likely to ultimately rest on the shoulders of Bam Adebayo.