Despite being one of the best defenders in the NBA, Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo has not yet won Defensive Player of the Year. Seven seasons into his career, Adebayo has yet to win the honor, which retired NBA All-Star Caron Butler views as a “crime.” It’s crucial to remember that Butler is an assistant coach for the Heat. So, this prejudice is probably there to some extent.
Adebayo has been among the top five contenders for the DPOY award for five seasons. Even though he has yet to earn the award, that accomplishment alone shows how excellent he is on defense. In a Tuesday interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, the Heat assistant coach discussed his thoughts.
Butler said, “When you talk about versatility. When you talk about two-way defender. I mean, it’s a crime that [Adebayo] hasn’t won Defensive Player of the Year. That’s with just the observation, the eye test. I know statistically you can look at different things but he’s top five on all that stuff, too.
He added, “But when you come to the games and see what he do and how hard individuals have to work [against him] … Nothing comes easy against Bam … He’s just different…”
Since 2020, Bam Adebayo has consistently been a member of the All-NBA Defensive Team. Last season, Adebayo was selected to the All-Defensive Team for the fifth time in a row, marking his first time on the first team. According to Butler, the “eye test” is where Adebayo separates him, even though the numbers don’t match those of Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama.
Bam Adebayo Has Been Phenomenal Defensively, But Is He A Deserving Candidate?
Following his debut in the 2019–20 NBA season, Bam Adebayo established himself as one of the league’s top defenders. Adebayo posted a career-high 1.3 blocks per game that year, his third in the league.
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Bam was also placed sixth among the Defensive Player of the Year candidates. Based on his defensive statistics compared to past champions, we might make the case that Bam is a deserving candidate. But it is insufficient for him to prevail. Rudy Gobert took home his fourth DPOY trophy of the season. However, based on the comparison, Gobert was clearly a well-deserved winner.
Everyone will acknowledge that Bam is one of the contenders for the DPOY award. But he has a long way to go compared to other defensive menaces in the NBA. This season, the Heat is looking impressive under Jimmy Butler, and this might be the chance Bam Adebayo is looking forward to.
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