5 unlikely candidates to make the 2020 NBA All-Star Game
4. Bam Adebayo
Entering his third pro season, Bam Adebayo had shown flashes of greatness after usurping Hassan Whiteside‘s spot in the starting lineup towards the end of last season.
The Miami Heat then went ahead and traded Whiteside over the summer, opening the door for Adebayo to become a full-time starter. Entering his third season, everything was lining up for Bam to contend for the Most Improved Player award.
Only three players this season are averaging more than 15 points, 10 rebounds and four assists with a true shooting percentage north of 60. Two are perennial NBA All-Stars — one is the reigning MVP in fact — and the other is Adebayo.
Those distinguished numbers aren’t hollow on a below-average team. The Heat are third in the East with a 24-9 record that far exceeds the modest expectations placed on them before the year.
i did another five plays piece on how a player uses his body to his advantage in an unconventional way, this time on bam https://t.co/EiH4VpVg1c
— haley (@haleyosomething) December 27, 2019
Miami allows 4.7 fewer points per game with their blossoming young center on the court, where his box plus/minus ranks inside the top 20 in the league.
Contending for MIP doesn’t necessarily guarantee a spot in the All-Star Game, but Adebayo has expanded the reach of his potential to set the bar even higher than previously imagined.
Given their top-tier status, the Heat are almost guaranteed to send two players to the United Center come February.
One will no doubt be Jimmy Butler on account of his elite two-way play and established stardom. The other will be Adebayo, whose statistical output and overall value continue to write an over-the-top breakout campaign.