Breakout Bam: The Gift That Keeps On Giving
By: Ammarsha Rewindra Ridwan
Tags: Miami Heat, Basketball, Analysis, NBA, Bam Adebayo

Breakout Bam: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Bam Adebayo (13) blocks Jayson Tatum’s dunk attempt (0) in the second overtime of Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 matchup between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics on Sept. 15, 2020 at HP Field House Sports Complex in Orlando, FL. (Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

From the emergence of Dirk Nowitzki and his unique fadeaway jumper to Nikola Jokic being the prototype of a modern Point-Center, the way big men play is changing. If one’s not adapting, they’ll be done and dusted.

Today’s big names like Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounpo, Joel Embiid, and Karl-Anthony Towns have more than just being a big guy grabbing boards and making easy baskets under their arsenal. Without neglecting the importance of the latter, they added other dimensions like ball-handling, playmaking, and even perimeter shooting. These additions do not only come on offense either. On defense, coaches want them to have flexibility so they can guard multiple positions, even switching to smaller players is a necessity in today’s fast-paced pick-and-roll centric game.

Albeit the changes, our love for big men in basketball remains. One definitely caught our eyes this season, in the form of Edrice Femi “Bam” Adebayo, an exciting young star from The 305 that ticks all the boxes for the aforementioned aspects.

Bam Adebayo was drafted 14th overall out of Kentucky in the 2017 NBA Draft to bolster the interior of the then .500 Miami Heat. The idea was to have a prospective number four to support Hassan Whiteside, who offers strong interior presence on both sides of the court, since having the likes of Derrick Williams and Josh McRoberts was not working for the Heat. Adebayo showed flashes of potential in his first two seasons with some lob-catching dunks and gritty paint action but only averaged 7.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in limited time. Yikes.

But the same cannot be said about this season: Adebayo racked up 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. Looking into the history books, there are only 39 players that put up similar stats (15p/10r/5a) per game for an entire season. If we add two more statistical factors — steals and blocks — Adebayo’s 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game make him one among eight (!) players who have ever averaged 15p/10r/5a/1s/1b for an entire season. Talking about elite company here.

Per Basketball Reference, Adebayo’s rebounds and assists accolades are second among all players listed as PF (Power Forward) and PF-C (Power Forward — Center), only behind the reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounpo with 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists respectively. Alongside that spike in statistics, Adebayo got his first NBA All-Star call-up representing the Eastern Conference and also listed on the NBA All-Defensive second team. So, what’s going on behind all of this? There are three P’s that revolve around Adebayo’s success: Playmaking, Protection, and Passion.

Playmaking

Bam Adebayo (13) passes the ball while being guarded by JaVale McGee in the first quarter of the Miami Heat versus Los Angeles Lakers matchup on Dec. 13, 2019 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. (Photo/David Santiago)

The first of the three P’s that we’re going to talk about is Bam Adebayo’s playmaking skill and how it gets amplified with the scheme Erik Spoelstra draws for the Heat. Here are his playmaking stats compared to players listed PF-C throughout 2019/20 regular season:

Bam Adebayo’s Passing Statistics (Source: NBA Stats)

As you can see, Adebayo is BOSSING other big men on playmaking-related stats. To see how it translates to his game, we watched some of Heat’s clips this season and we noticed that they like to operate on the low or high post using their big to hold the ball while his teammates operate on a flare screen to create separation. The scorer would separate themselves off the screen to the perimeter for an open look, or cut inside the paint for an easy lay-up. Here’s an example of play:

In this play against the Milwaukee Bucks, Adebayo (red) operates on the high post. He wants to hand off the ball to Duncan Robinson who is right in front of him, but he pulls it away so Robinson can set up a screen for Tyler Herro (blue) from the weak side.

This play could go in two different ways. If the screen is successful, Herro would have an open look from downtown. But if Donte DiVincenzo can overplay the screen, Herro would have to cut inside to the rim and Adebayo has to be quick and accurate to nail the pass before any Bucks players close the gap.

The result is an easy two points for Miami. Here’s another example of play:

Adebayo and Herro are in a 2-on-2 situation on the strong side. Adebayo tries to set up the screen, but Herro is actually in a dead ball situation so Adebayo looks to slip into the paint (blue) to attack the rim. On the weak side, Jae Crowder (red) is setting up a screen for Duncan Robinson (purple) who is not caught on camera.

The slip-in is successful and now Adebayo is double-teamed by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Crowder’s screen works like a charm, and now Robinson is wide open.

Adebayo nails the pass to the wide open Robinson. He misses the shot, but Andre Iguodala comes to clean it up. Adebayo’s ability on making that pass while being heavily guarded shows his exceptional playmaking skill.

If you’re a Heat fan or like to watch basketball clips you will notice that Adebayo operates on both low and high post, and dishes tight-window passes toward cutting players. We can give credit to Erik Spoelstra's play-calling and how his teammates adapt exceptionally by reading the situation of each possession well. But how Adebayo seamlessly fits into the scheme by being the main operator and his excellent passing skill should not go unnoticed in the Heat’s success in exploiting their opponents.

Protection

Bam Adebayo (13) battles for a rebound against Daniel Theis in the Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 matchup between Miami Heat and Boston Celtics on Sept. 27, 2020 at AdventHealth Arena in Orlando, FL. (Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

As the biggest player on the court, centers or power forwards are often instructed to protect the paint area or bully the opposition using their size and strength. With the game evolving on a nightly basis, it is not strange that the demand for versatile big men increases by the minute. Adebayo shows it by being an adept playmaker on the offensive end, but how would he fare when it comes to our second P, Protection?

In order to excel defensively, one player must possess the physical tools and know-how to utilize it. Bam Adebayo, as many of you have guessed, ticked all the boxes even from his days at Kentucky. Standing tall at 6’9” (approx. 2.06 m), weighing 255 lb (approx. 116 kg), and having a 7’1” wingspan (approx. 2.17 m), Adebayo is a certified physical freak. In a SPARQ (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, and Quickness) test that he took in the 2017 NBA Combine, Adebayo recorded a 103.8 rating, which is the best among his big men peers in the draft. Compared to other NBA prospects who took the test since 2000, he’s in the 97th percentile. He also recorded a 38-inch vertical jump and 15 bench reps. A physical freak, to say the least.

But how does all that translate to the game? Here’s an example of a defensive play where Adebayo utilizes his physical tools:

In this play, Adebayo (red) is defending a pick-and-roll in drop coverage. Kemba Walker (blue) is looking for an opening to lob the ball to the rolling (green line) Daniel Theis.

Adebayo then uses his quickness to readjust his position to the ball and contests the lob with his high vertical jump and length. No easy lobs allowed. Being a physical monster allows Adebayo to make such plays, as it demands quickness on the ground, vertical leap, and strength to withstand a moving 7-footer on air, as well as the length to contest the shot.

Let’s delve deeper into his statistics. We look at his defensive numbers on the paint throughout the 2019/20 season when compared with players listed as PF-C:

Bam Adebayo’s Defensive Statistics (Source: NBA Stats)

With his long limbs and strength, it is no strange that Adebayo is doing great at box outs, deflections, and steals. But in terms of shot-blocking and contesting shots in the paint, Adebayo is still a work-in-progress. He allowed a hefty 55.6% opponent field goal percentage when the distance is less than 6 feet from the paint. That’s at least one shot out of every two going into the basket.

Let’s take a look at a play from Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals:

Adebayo is in a low post battle versus Boston Celtics’ Enes Kanter.

This should have been easy to defend but Adebayo overcommits and the Turkish big man wins the battle with a spin move. This is straight-up an awful possession, especially if we do not consider Enes Kanter to be on the better side of big men in the NBA.

Here’s Adebayo (red) playing the low post in Miami’s well-known zone defense, with Daniel Theis working on Andre Iguodala in the high post (blue).

Adebayo had one job, which is to stay in his post and help when Theis beats Iguodala to the inside. Perhaps it was due to bad reflexes (or to avoid a 3-second call) but he shifts to his right at the worst possible moment, making the paint (blue) wide open.

As expected, Theis has room to operate and nails the floater. Adebayo did get in his lane but did not even bother to jump and contest. And also, mind the gap (red). Simply cannot ask for a more comfortable room than that to do a mid-ranger.

Defensive lapses aside, Adebayo’s outstanding SPARQ test score indicates his elite athleticism, which theoretically would allow guarding multiple positions. But how versatile is Bam as a defensive stalwart? Here are some stats to back up Adebayo’s versatility on the court:

Bam Adebayo’s Defensive Assignments (Source: NBA Stats)

We looked at the time Adebayo spent on defense and made partitions based on the position of the players he guarded last season. Even though Adebayo did not spend more than 10% of his time guarding players that are not listed as centers and power forwards, he forced turnovers at least 10% of the time whenever he was assigned to guard a backcourt player, making him a very well-respected defender that can match up with any player with all kinds of size and skill set. Another takeaway is Adebayo’s low propensity to foul, as evidenced by the fact he only fouled 9% (86 out of 933 shots faced) of the time when defending a shot. Here are a few plays that Adebayo made when switched to guard a smaller player:

In this play, Adebayo manages to keep up with Kemba Walker and forces him to a long and inefficient two-pointer. He also contests the shot really well.

Here’s another Walker versus Adebayo matchup on an isolation.

Walker dribbles to his left and crosses the ball the other way, but look at how Adebayo quickly responses, moving his hips fast enough to keep Walker in front of him.

When Walker triggers his signature step-back, Adebayo is already in position and with the help of Tyler Herro, he steals the ball from Walker. Great defensive possession by the Heat, made possible by Adebayo’s defensive savviness.

With three years of top-level basketball experience in his book, Bam Adebayo has shown flashes of potential to become an all-time defensive great. His versatility to guard multiple positions in different kinds of situations, plus the athleticism that allows him to be an imposing threat in the paint, make fans, coaches, and defensive enthusiasts drool. He will have to work on being consistently aggressive in contesting shots and his post techniques, but we are quite sure Adebayo will sort that out in no time.

Passion

Bam Adebayo (13) celebrates a shot that his teammate made during a game against the Boston Celtics at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. (Photo/Issac Baldizon)

Having spent all of his time in the United States, Bam Adebayo did not want to recognize his Nigerian heritage in his young age. In an interview with Marc J. Spears from The Undefeated, It was revealed that Adebayo did not have the chance to get to know more about his Nigerian father, John Adebayo as he and his mother left him to Pinetown, N. C. when he was seven years old.

Marilyn Blount, Adebayo’s mother raised him alone in a trailer home while working as a cashier. Adebayo lived a childhood full of adversities. Not having a father figure throughout his life, being someone different to his peers due to him being a Nigerian, and having to witness his mother living paycheck to paycheck while also raising him became the sparks that lit Adebayo’s passion to become the player he is right now.

Quoting from an article written by Manny Navarro of Miami Herald, the one-time All-Star mentioned Kevin Garnett as his particular role model in basketball. Fellow basketball fans would know that the recently inducted Hall of Famer is one of the loudest and passionate basketball players that ever graced the hardwood. Adebayo pointed out Garnett’s passion, drive, and how the Big Ticket always wanted to be the best and win every game. Adebayo is not shy to try and copy Garnett’s style of play and has proven it on the court.

Per an article from ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Adebayo was furious when he was instructed to guard Minnesota Timberwolves’ star center Karl-Anthony Towns on a double team in a walkthrough one day before their matchup last April. He believed that he could take on Towns on his own. He yelled, “F — — that, Spo! We ain’t doubling.” He proved himself by only allowing Towns to score 13 points and forcing 11 turnovers, the most of his career. Six of those turnovers came directly from Adebayo, as he stole the ball four times, drew an offensive foul, and forced Towns to commit a traveling violation.

Bam Adebayo fits the mold in Miami’s winning culture that embraces hard work and good work ethics. One thing we are sure about Bam: our last P — which stands for Passion — is written all over his face.

Conclusion

Going into his fourth year in the NBA, Bam Adebayo is already having a fantastic career at the highest level of basketball. Playing for a young team with a great winning culture, Adebayo competed in the NBA Finals against the best duo in the league, cemented himself as a defensive talent with his inclusion in the NBA All-Defensive Second Team award, and gained the respect of coaches, journalists, fellow players, and fans with his first All-Star call-up.

Being a physical freak with elite athleticism, Adebayo is a defensive monster that can go up against any player in any kind of situation. It goes without saying that he is a disruptive force on both ends of the court, but what stands out is his ability to pull the strings for his teammates as a playmaking big man. There are certain aspects he still to work on, such as paint protection, shot contesting, and so on. With his passion to strive for excellence, he will improve to be better in no time, and for us — basketball fans — watching him do so is a gift that keeps on giving.