The Miami Heat have been consistently inconsistent thus far during the 2022-23 NBA season. Their longest winning streak of the season is only four games, which also matches their longest losing streak. Four games under the .500 mark is the worst things have gotten, while the best has been only two games over.
It has been a struggle at times for head coach Erik Spoelstra as the Heat have hit the midway point of the season. The lineup changes on an almost nightly basis as there isn’t a single player on the roster who has appeared in all 41 games, with everyone missing at least two.
One of the players that Spoelstra has been able to write into the lineup most consistently has been Bam Adebayo. It is easy to imagine how much worse things would be for Miami this season without him in the lineup, as he has taken his game to another level.
The Kentucky product has taken that next step in his development, averaging a career-high 21.4 points per game to go along with 9.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 35.2 minutes per game. He is an integral part of the team’s game plan on both ends of the court, but it is on defense that he feels he makes the biggest impact.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Bam Adebayo & Miami Heat Updates
In a recent Q&A with Mark Medina of NBA.com, Adebayo was asked several things, including his all-around game. While a lot of people want to focus on his work offensively, he feels most highly about his defense, where he believes he is the most impactful player in the league.
“But I feel like I’m the best defender in the league. I can guard one through five and I can guard anybody on the court. In past seasons, that’s how I got on the court. Defense is how I got to where I am today. That’s never going to be away. I’m always going to have the mindset of wanting to be in the top five on both units.”
Adebayo is a driving force behind the Heat having the No. 6 defensive rating in the NBA at 111.4. That is helping buoy what has been a disappointing season offensively. Despite how well he is playing on that end of the court, the Heat rank 25th in offensive rating with 111.1.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Bam Adebayo & Miami Heat Updates
Improving offensively will be key to the Heat climbing back up the Eastern Conference standings and being the contender that many people believe they are capable of being. Adebayo will continue helping them achieve that while playing at an elite level defensively. He hopes to eventually gain the recognition he feels he deserves after finishing fourth in the Defensive Player of the Year award voting last season.
