Michael Nyarko
A legendary NBA player contends that Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo holds the title of the most underrated player in the league. Jerry West, former Los Angeles Lakers star, recently expressed this viewpoint on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
“I think Bam Adebayo in Miami is really good. Bam plays every night. He competes every night. Bam gets numbers every night, and you can write him in. A coach loves a player that goes out there every night, and he fills the stat sheet up. But even if he doesn’t, say, score on some nights, he’s still going to help them win because of his value to his team. And he doesn’t get a lot of publicity, but I really think he’s a terrific player myself.”
Bam Adebayo, aged 26, was chosen as the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and has spent all six seasons of his NBA career with the esteemed Heat organization.
During the 2022-23 regular season, he achieved a career-best average of 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in 75 appearances, all of which were as a starter.
These impressive stats led to Adebayo’s second All-Star selection and recognition on the All-Defensive Second Team.
Just Bam Adebayo locking up your favorite players pic.twitter.com/OCLlnkBs0D
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) August 24, 2023
Continuing his impressive performance from the 2022-23 regular season, the 6-foot-9 center excelled in the 2023 postseason. He emerged as Miami’s second-best player behind Jimmy Butler during their journey to the NBA Finals.
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Adebayo’s playoff averages of 17.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in 23 matches, with a field goal percentage of 48.1%, highlighted his contribution.
In the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, Adebayo, aged 26, showcased his finest basketball of the postseason. Despite averaging an impressive double-double of 21.8 points and 12.4 rebounds per game, he couldn’t lead the Heat to victory as they were eliminated by the Nuggets in five games.
Given Adebayo’s remarkable two-way impact in the previous season that propelled the Heat to the NBA Finals, he presents a strong case for being the most underrated player in the league. Fans can only hope for an even more exceptional 2023-24 regular season from Adebayo.
Is Bam Adebayo underrated??