“Who is the best defensive player in the NBA?” This is one of the 50 questions making up the traditional survey of general managers before each season. Giannis Antetokounmpo was popular, and we also found the names of Jrue Holiday, Draymond Green, Marcus Smart and Jaren Jackson Jr. among the responses. On the other hand, no trace of Bam Adebayo, which has the gift of annoying Erik Spoelstra.
If Coach Spo was widely voted as the best coach in the NBA by the GMs, the strong man of the Heat could not help but give a mini rant regarding the lack of recognition for his pivot Bam Adebayo ( via the Miami Herald).
“I find it incredible (that Bam did not receive a single vote, editor’s note.). I think Bam is the best defensive player in the league and I can’t understand why he isn’t recognized for his impact on that end of the ball. So he’s going to have to prove it again until everyone notices.”
Named four times in a row to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team since 2020, Bam Adebayo has never been elected to the best defensive team of the season, and has never done better than fourth place in the race to Defender of the Year. However, the Heat’s pivot is one of the main reasons why Miami is in the Top 10 or even Top 5 of the best defenses every year, and what’s more, Bam is not used to missing a lot of games. So how come Adebayo is being snubbed by the NBA in Erik Spoelstra’s eyes?
“I think it’s a trophy that rewards blockers and interceptors. And it’s a shame because he doesn’t dominate the league in counterattacks. He is a good protector in the racket. He just does it in a different way and his versatility is almost incomparable. […] It should be acknowledged in this discussion. It should be 1a, 1b. But he’s not even on the list, and that boggles my mind.”
– Erik Spoelstra
Switching screens.
Closing to shooters.
Cutting off drives.
Controlling the glass.
Defending the post.
Bam Adebayo does it all on defense, as tracked by #NBACourtOptix powered by Microsoft Azure!
MIA (1-0) PHI – 7:30 PM ET, TNT pic.twitter.com/j4rFE92mr1
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2022
It’s true that in terms of stats, Adebayo impresses less than other players. Certainly he is used to averaging more than one interception per game, which is solid for an interior player, but he only has 0.8 blocks on average over the last two years, a very low figure compared to d other pivots who make three times as many blocks. And inevitably, this catches the eye of voters less.
Bam Adebayo’s great strength is his versatility, his ability to defend both on the inside and on the perimeter, he who has superb mobility and very good lateral movements. Adebayo is one of those rare players where there are few unfavorable match-ups on defense and this necessarily gives a lot of options in Coach Spo’s defensive schemes. “He can make any cover and he does it at the highest level,” added Spoelstra in defense of his colt. Except that all of this is less recognizable to the naked eye, which doesn’t help Adebayo in the race for Defender of the Year.
It is therefore up to Bam to inflate his individual stats to really enter the discussion. Or for Hexperts to pay attention more often to the guy’s performances…
Bam Adebayo didn’t receive one single vote in the NBA GM survey for best defensive players in the league.
Erik Spoelstra: “That one is unbelievable to me. Bam is the best defensive player in the league and I can’t understand why he’s not recognized.”
(via @Anthony_Chiang) pic.twitter.com/6o6cOfJjGS
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 11, 2023
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Source texte : Miami Herald
2023-10-11 20:22:00
#Erik #Spoelstra #respect #Bam #Adebayo
