"He’s arguably been the best defender in the league"- Erik Spoelstra has high praise for Bam Adebayo despite losing NBA Finals
Looking back at the 2022-23 regular season, Bam Adebayo was the Miami Heat's second option after Jimmy Butler. Adebayo was able to provide efficient scoring while dominating the glass.
He's also been effective on defense by grabbing a bunch of steals every game. Unfortunately, not everyone sees him in the same light considering how low his numbers are on the defensive end.
However, coach Erik Spoelstra has still commended the 25-year-old for his defensive efforts in the regular season and in the NBA Finals. Spoelstra is aware of the effort that Adebayo has put in throughout the years and is giving him his flowers for it.
“He’s arguably been the best defender in the league now for a handful of years," Spoelstra said. "He doesn’t necessarily get acknowledged for that because he’s not putting up the big shot blocking numbers or whatever metrics they look at.”
“He’s arguably been the best defender in the league now for a handful of years…He doesn’t necessarily get acknowledged for that because he’s not putting up the big shot blocking numbers or whatever metrics they look at.”
- Erik Spoelstra on Bam Adebayo
(Via @5ReasonsSports’… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/Y7uPnQAyf1
How did Bam Adebayo fare in NBA Finals 2023?
Despite being a couple of inches shorter than Nikola Jokic and having a much smaller wingspan, Bam Adebayo did well at the center position in the 2023 NBA Finals. Adebayo did everything he could to try to outplay Jokic, at least on the defensive end of the court.
Looking at his figures in the finals, Adebayo managed to average a double-double despite being matched up against the 'Joker'. The 25-year-old averaged 21.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in five games. Compared to other Miami Heat players, the big man was the only one to keep his game consistent throughout the finals.
Jimmy Butler struggled to find his stroke in Game 1 when he scored only 13 points. The first game of the series was mostly Adebayo doing the work for the Heat. Adebayo added 26 points and 13 rebounds in an attempt to steal a victory from the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately for Miami, their star center could only do so much.
Overall, it's safe to say that Bam Adebayo was the Heat's MVP in the finals series against the Nuggets. He consistently worked hard on both sides of the court every game and didn't go down without a fight.