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Edrice “Bam” Adebayo was a virtual lock as a NBA lottery pick. But a slow start to the season and questions about his scoring ability knocked Bam down the mock drafts as some analysts had him going as late as the second round.
But Bam has been killing it in NBA workouts and has been invited to the green room on Thursday night where he will await his NBA fate along with Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox.
One thing about Bam are certain: his size and strength are second to none in this year’s draft class.
Position: Center/Power Forward
Height: 6-3
Weight: 260 lbs
Points Per Game: 13
Rebounds Per Game: 8
Draft Predictions:
Draft Express- #18 to the Indiana Pacers
NBADraft.net- #17 to the Milwaukee Bucks
Sports Illustrated- #23 to the Toronto Raptors
Strengths: Bam has a motor like none other. John Calipari is not afraid to call out the work ethic of his players, but Bam was one of the few that he never criticized in that regard all season long.
His low post moves improved as the season progressed as did his rebounding. He is extremely fast and athletic for his size and rebounds with ferocity under the basket. He is a very good free throw shooter for his size.
The question will be if he will be able to stretch the floor as a 6-8 power forward, a position that has evolved in the modern NBA.
Weaknesses: Outside shooting is the one standout as far as Bam’s limitations. But in all honesty it was very much an unknown factor when he was a Kentucky Wildcat. He was forced to play in the post for the entire season and wasn’t able to showcase this aspect of his game.
The days of the big lumbering centers of the NBA are gone. Now is the time of the bigs that can extend the defense and shoot as well as they can operate on the block. If Bam can show that he can do this then he will have a long career in the NBA.
Conclusion: I thought it was silly that Bam was ever projected out of the first round of the draft. Now it seems as if NBA scouts and GMs are coming to their senses in regards to his attributes. Bam sacrificed playing his true position while at Kentucky for the good of the team.
While it took him a while to adjust, halfway through the conference regular season and into the tournament, we all saw what made him one of the best prospects in the 2016 recruiting class. NBA teams need to focus on that.