Essentially since the start of Orlando Summer League, Miami Heat rookie Bam Adebayo has been turning heads. That has continued into the offseason, as he has worked out with Miami’s veteran players and, as camp nears, may have a solid role to fill in 2017-18. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald has more:
I asked Chet Kammerer, the Heat’s vice president of player personnel who was instrumental in the drafting of Adebayo, what the 6-10 Adebayo can do at an NBA level now.
“The one thing I think he can do – and it was borne out this summer – is he can defend,” Kammerer said. “He’s a rookie, so you don’t think automatically [that a rookie is] going to be a great defender. But he can defend his position or a position in the NBA.
“He did a fairly good job this summer of doing that and he has the physical tools to be trained and drilled to do that. He can defend fours [power forwards] and fives [centers] at this point. For a man that has a great body, he has good feet and that’s so crucial defending the ball. Down the road, he will be able to switch onto players and stay in front of them.”
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“When we interviewed him, one of the things we asked him prior to his [Heat pre-draft] workout, we asked about his ability to shoot. I asked, ‘What’s your range?’ He said, ‘Three-point range.’
“I said, ‘Wait a minute? Three point range?’ I said, ‘If you shot 100 threes from the corner, how many would you make?’ He said 60.
“He then shot 100 threes in his workout, and he made 60. If he had made 40 or 50, that would have been good.”
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So can he help as a rookie?
“It will depend on how he picks up everything and how he matures,” Kammerer said. “I think he has the potential to play some this year but a lot depends on how [he develops]. He could be a backup five. He can play five in the NBA. Bam is pretty close in size to [Boston center] Al Horford….
“None of these NBA kids are really ready. The one thing he’s got going for him is most guys his age are weak physically and they get taken advantage of because they can’t take on a bigger stronger player. That won’t be an issue for him. That aids him in being able to play. But he’s got a lot to learn and a lot of work to do.”
