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Bam Adebayo is one of the best defenders in this league, without question. Before making the All-Defensive first team, Adebayo made the second team four consecutive seasons. This past season, Adebayo was one of three finalist s for the Defensive Player of the Year award, which was won by Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert. Despite finishing in the top five in the voting for the past five years, The Miami Heat center is irked that he hasn’t yet won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year title.
“I have to do all this and average 20, 10 and 5,” Adebayo told Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill about his responsibilities on both ends, which include playing elite defense.
The Heat center had more to say about the DPOY conversation Goodwill had with Adebayo from Las Vegas, the site of Team USA men’s basketball’s Olympic training camp. It’s obvious that the conversation has been bugging the center for a while.
“That’s one thing that irks me, it’s not my fault I’m versatile,” Adebayo added. “I’ve been top five in DPOY voting the last five years, there’s been guys y’all (media) been giving it to over me.
A point guard (Marcus Smart) got it over me, a center (Rudy Gobert) got it over me, a power forward (Jaren Jackson Jr.) has gotten it over me. The goalposts move for me, in certain degrees. It’s me and a lot of undrafted dudes, and we still have a top-five defense. These other guys have All-NBA dudes (around them). Some of it is, they don’t really care about us and that’s fine. I think they should pay attention to consistency because being top five DPOY, I think I have the longest streak of All-Defensive teams so the goalposts move for me.”
via Yahoo Sports
Playing Both Ends
Given that he plays a bigger role for his squad than some of these other players do for their individual teams, Adebayo might have a point. Every night, he’s responsible for anchoring the Heat’s defense while being the second option, sometimes even first when Jimmy Butler is out. Additionally, he has to switch out on perimeter players and guard opposing centers taller than him. Over the past five seasons, Miami has ranked 4th overall in defensive ratings with 111.1.
Adebayo is still young—he turns 27 on July 18—so he is still very much in his prime and should have many more seasons to win the DPOY title.
After being this close so many times, you would think that eventually he’s going to win the award. But the rise of San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama may also prevent him or anyone else from winning that award for years. In the end, nevertheless, Adebayo’s arguments are acknowledged.
