Miami Heat
Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Bam Adebayo (Kentucky) is introduced as the number fourteen overall pick to the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat made a surprising decision with the No. 14 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by picking Bam Adebayo out of Kentucky. Here's why it was the right move.
With the No. 14 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat made one of the most surprising selections of the fist round when they took Kentucky big man Bam Adebayo.
There hadn't been much noise leading up to draft night paring Miami with the 6'9″ center, and most mock-ups had him going No. 17 or lower.
Initially, the pick was met with either shock or disdain — and sometimes a mixture of both — by fans of the Heat.
Once it was clear that Miami's two top-priority targets (according to the great Barry Jackson) Luke Kennard and Donovan Mitchell wouldn't be available, most thought Pat Riley and co. would go with UNC wing Justin Jackson or Wake Forest power forward John Collins to close out the lottery.
The two young men would have filled pressing needs on Erik Spoelstra's team — the former by adding much-needed size on the wing, and the latter as an athletic freak who plays the Heat's weakest position (the 4).
So when this happened…
..the preeminent emotional response was one of confusion.
"Who? An undersized center who averaged 13.0 points in college? What?! Why?!"
I won't lie: My reaction was similar.
However, after letting the dust settle a bit, and really thinking about why the Heat ultimately made their choice, I've softened my stance a bit. So, here are five reasons why taking Adebayo with the No. 14 pick was the right decision by Miami.
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5. Backup center will likely be a need this offseason
Willie Reed, Miami's backup to Hassan Whiteside, quietly had an excellent 2016-17 campaign.
On the year, Reed averaged 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks a night. He shot 56.8 percent from the floor and 55.7 percent from the foul stripe, while playing 14.5 minutes per game — mundane numbers overall, but when you look at them more closely, you'll notice they're a bit more impressive than a quick glance would indicate.
For starters, the Heat were 1.1 points per 100 possessions better with their backup center in the game. Their offense got a bit worse, but their defense tightened up to the tune of allowing 3.1 fewer points per 100 possessions with Reed on the floor.
Furthermore, as the pick-and-roll "roll man," Reed scored 1.13 points per opportunity (via NBA.com), a mark that eclipsed that of All-NBA First Team member Anthony Davis, and other stud big men like Steven Adams and Marcin Gortat.
Moreover, in mid-January, when Whiteside missed four starts in a row with a lacerated eye (ouch), the former St. Louis center stepped in and acquitted himself wonderfully. In that four-game stretch, Reed averaged 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per contest, while shooting 65.0 percent overall.
All of that is to say: the Heat reserve center is gonna get paid this offseason. And it's all but certain he'll find himself on a different team in 2017-18 — even Riley appears to believe so.
So if we factor in his likely eventual departure, taking a center with Adebayo's attributes at No. 14 makes sense. The former Wildcat probably won't be as good right away, but over the course of his rookie season, he could make a similar impact to Reed.
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4. Adebayo played well against elite defenses in college
A good way to gauge how effective a prospect will be as a professional is to see how he does when facing elite defenses while in college.
Thankfully, as a member of one of the nation's true blue blood programs, Adebayo played in his fair share of big games.
Over the course of the 2016-17 season, Kentucky faced five teams ranked top 13 in defensive efficiency (according to KenPom), seven different times. Those teams were North Carolina (twice), Florida (twice), South Carolina, Louisville and Wichita State. What's more, two of those games came with the highest stakes possible, as NCAA Tournament showdowns.
In those seven matchups, Adebayo surpassed his season clips across the board, averaging 13.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game on 56.9 percent shooting. He also attempted nearly 10 free throws a night in those games, forcing defenders to foul as he bullied his way down low.
His best performance against a topnotch defense came on Jan. 21, at home against the Gamecocks. That night, he scored 18 points, threw down five dunks and went 8-for-12 from the foul stripe.
Overall, Adebayo's strongest skills — finishing in the paint and throwing down alleys — helped him excel in Kentucky's toughest matchups.
Likewise, those skills should translate well in the NBA, as playing with distributors like Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters (provided the latter re-signs with Miami) will set up him for multiple easy looks a night.
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3. Upside is through the roof
The Heat, picking at No. 14, were commonly linked to a couple of prospects leading up to the draft: Justin Jackson and T.J. Leaf. Obviously, they passed on both, with Jackson going 15th overall to the Sacramento Kings and Leaf 18th to the Indiana Pacers.
Both guys received Miami scuttle because they would have fill obvious holes on the Heat's roster — the former on the wing and the latter as a stretch-4.
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Well, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, Riley's team didn't love either player's upside. Specifically on J. Jackson, B. Jackson wrote, "Miami passed on North Carolina's Jackson because of concerns about his athleticism and whether he could create his own offense."
Meanwhile, Leaf does have bounce, but lacks size and bulk, so his future as a full-time starting power forward is murky.
Thus, the Heat went with someone who they felt had more potential in Adebayo.
The 6'9″ center turns 20 in late July, making him one of the youngest prospects in the 2017 class. There's a solid chance he can grow another couple of inches as he develops physically.
Plus, as is, he's already an athletic freak. After weighing in at 243 pounds at the recent NBA Combine, Adebayo posted a 38.5-inch max vert in the testing portion of the event — ridiculous for a man of his stature.
Upon reviewing the tape, his hops definitely translate in actual games too:
Add in the fact that in pre-draft workouts he showed off a jumper that not many knew he had (according to Riley, he went 30-for-50 from three in front of Heat officials), and his upside as an explosive center with range could make him the steal of the late lottery.
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2. Adebayo has game-changing ability to defend guards
Arguably the biggest skill a big man can possess in the modern NBA is a propensity to ably switch onto guards on the perimeter when facing a pick-and-roll.
Whiteside isn't great at it per se, but did have a huge moment this season doing just that:
On Apr. 8 against the Washington Wizards, with the game on the line and Miami's playoff hopes teetering, Whiteside switched onto Bradley Beal after an effective Marcin Gortat screen set the Wiz 2-guard free of Tyler Johnson. Whiteside used his exceptional athleticism to latch onto the sharpshooter and block his game-tying attempt from three, securing a Heat win in the process.
With how pick-and-roll-dependent the NBA is today, that exact type of play happens multiple times a night. The league's best defenses are able to stop them by playing wings in traditional big men spots (Draymond Green, anyone?) and switching everything on the perimeter.
One other way to counter pick-and-roll-heavy offenses is by playing agile centers who can survive on switches, and punish opponents for going small by crashing the glass, much like Tristan Thompson did to the Golden State Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals.
What gives one hope about Adebayo's pro prospects is that at Kentucky, he showed an ability to defend smaller, quicker players when the situation called for it.
Bam can step out and switch on D. Moves his feet really well. One of the few big men in this class that can do that. pic.twitter.com/eb2OLS0ECw
— Joshua Riddell (@Joshua_Riddell) June 25, 2017
Furthermore, consider that Adebayo was also one of the best offensive rebounders in the country last year and you have the makings of a potential stud big man — and one that should thrive in the modern game.
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1. Heat brass fell in love with the person, not just the player
Adebayo's ability to crash the glass and switch onto guards made my eyes bulge. His numbers against elite competition? Music to my ears. The fact that he's still only 19 years old, and not yet done maturing physically? Yes, please.
The intangibles, though? Eh.
Nonetheless, at the same time, I've never worked for an NBA team. I don't know how much stock should go into a prospect's personality.
So when Riley and Spoelstra raved about Adebayo the person, I realized that impressions matter more than I thought. The Miami Herald's Manny Navarro wrote a wonderful piece on that very topic; in it, he mentioned that, "the Heat love Adebayo as much for his background and the way he fits into the franchise's hard-working culture."
Spoelstra expounded on that just a bit:
"So much of this league is about finding the kind of basketball player that fits your culture, fits your style of play, fits your work ethic. Bam checks so many boxes," Spoelstra said. "And he has a great story that we really connected with. We believe in these kind of stories, guys that have to show perseverance and great individual character. That matters. That matters in this league."
If any one team would know about what type of person to welcome into their organization, it's the Heat. After decades of evidence (and scores of players who personify hard work and class — like Udonis Haslem and Alonzo Mourning — suiting up for the franchise), we have no choice but to trust their evaluations here.
Moreover, it's easy to see why Miami fell in love with Adebayo's personality. Here's a brief video of him consoling a teammate (new Sacramento Kings point guard, De'Aaron Fox), while being overcome with emotion himself after a gut-wrenching loss to UNC in the Elite Eight last postseason:
Though many of us may not have realized it on draft night, Adebayo's strengths as a player perfectly suit the modern NBA. His personality should seamlessly jell within the culture that's blossomed in South Florida too. And as Spoelstra said when discussing his newest big man, "that matters."
It matters a whole lot more than wingspans and points per possession, that's for sure.
