Heat’s Adebayo plans for ‘working’ summer
Rookie center/forward will spend summer working on his game.
The 20-year-old center/forward says he’ll be hitting the gym even harder after his promising rookie season for the Miami squad.
MIAMI — This offseason will be important for Bam Adebayo, and he plans to make the most of it.
“The summer is all about working,” Adebayo said after the Heat’s season-ending loss last week in Philadelphia. “So this summer, I’m just going to get in the gym. I’m going to be prepared even more than this year.”
Adebayo, 20, just finished a promising rookie season that included a consistent role in the Heat’s rotation and a few eye-opening performances that he will try to build on this summer. He averaged 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 69 regular-season games (19 starts).
But his most impressive work came on the defensive end, where he limited those he was guarding to 52.2 percent shooting from within 6 feet of the basket — 9.4 percent worse than their normal shooting percentage within that range.
Adebayo even showed off his ability to switch on smaller players and keep them in front of him as a 6-foot-10 defender. Athleticism paired with a 7-foot-3 wingspan allowed him to switch onto All-Star perimeter players such as Jimmy Butler, LeBron James and Stephen Curry and stop them.
There is at least one question about Adebayo, though, that wasn’t answered this season — is he a center or power forward? According to Basketball-Reference, Adebayo spent 96 percent of his minutes at center and just 4 percent at power forward as a rookie.
“Man, I’m a basketball player, pretty much,” Adebayo said when asked if he sees himself as a center or power forward. “I just go out there and do what I got to do with this team. Whatever coach needs me to do, I do.”
Adebayo still has a lot of room for improvement on offense. Just 28 of his 174 made field goals this season came from outside the restricted area, as he relied on dunks for most of his points.
Adebayo shot 11 of 40 (27.5 percent) from outside the paint. But he also flashed the potential to be more than four (2020-21) of his conjust a paint player with two tract. six-assist performances and What stands out most smooth shooting mechanics. about his rookie season?
Offensively, Adebayo “The experience,” Adebayo will continue to work on says. “We had a great group his “post game every day of guys. We went out there and jump shots.” and fought for each other
“Our staff does a great job like we were really brothers of helping us with everyand we developed a broththing, so I can’t say one par- erhood, D-Wade coming ticular thing,” he said when back and he just helped us asked what he will work on from there. And with (Udothis offseason. “You know, nis Haslem), they’ve been [assistant coaches Juwan to three championships, so Howard and Chris Quinn], they know what it’s like. So they’re in the gym with us for us to go out like this … every day, so I would have speechless. But I had a great to say everything.” time just being beside U.D.,
With starting center HasD-Wade and all my teamsan Whiteside’s future with mates. I had fun this year.” the Heat uncertain after a Plus, living in Miami helps, season that included dimintoo. ished playing time and stats “I love this city,” he said. for the team’s highest-paid “I could be any place and player, Adebayo could be it’s cold right now. But I’m promoted to a bigger role thankful to be here. Pat if a change is made. (Riley) saw something in
Adebayo is set to make $3 me in my pre-draft workmillion in 2018-19, which is out. I’m glad he did and I’m the second year of his rook- glad he drafted me.” ie-scale contract. The Heat then have a team option in years three (2019-20) and