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In Monday’s summer league game against the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat big man Edrice “Bam” Adebayo showed his high draft selection was a brilliant move. Scoring 29 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking two shots Bam looked like the best player on the floor.
“He was what we like to say one percent better,” Heat assistant and summer league head coach Chris Quinn said of Adebayo in a Miami Herald interview.
Quinn continued, “I thought he did a great job, a much better job of rolling to the basket. We were able to get him some easier looks that way and also get him to the foul line. They had some big physical guys down there and he responded well to that.”
Adebayo shot 8 of 14 from the field and 13 of 17 from the free throw line. He’s shooting 75% from the field in 3 summer games.
Bam was drafted 14th by the Heat in what many thought was a surprise move. He was projected to fall out of the first round by some.
What might be the most impressive part of his game is his ability to handle the ball and run the floor. According to Bam in an interview with the Miami Herald, “Pat [Riley] and them said they were going to let me not be in a box. In summer league I’m playing free. I’m having fun.”
He even added this steal and transition basket highlighted by a “Euro Step”.
Bam Adebayo turns defense into offense for @MiamiHEAT at #NBASummer ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dXqNLN4Ag4
— NBA.com (@NBAcom) July 3, 2017
The Heat are making it a point to feature Bam offensively and allow him to show off his entire arsenal.
“Pat [Riley] and them said they were going to let me not be in a box,” Adebayo said. “In summer league I’m playing free. I’m having fun.”
Last season playing for Kentucky Adebayo averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds per game finishing the season strong with 3 double doubles in his last 7 games and a total of 8 double doubles for the year. He led the Cats in that category. Bam also set a new record for dunks in a season with 101 breaking the record of 92 set by Anthony Davis.
Here are Bam’s highlights from the game against the Pacer organization.
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