Is it just me or is Bam Adebayo really really good but also….not?

[Kblaze8855]

Bam(Edrice as he’s known to some of his detractors who don’t feel he consistently earns his nickname) as a total player is pretty crazy. He’s an elite defender who can both protect the rim and switch onto smaller players. He can rebound. He can run the floor. He can shoot a bit even though he seems to choose not to. He’s a go-getter around the rim. When they choose to put the ball in his hands he’s been something of a point center who makes plays off the dribble.

As a total package it feels like he should be top 15 or so and when you look at his numbers you realize he does score more than you think he does when you watch heat games. At this point he has to score like 26 every time I don’t watch him play to maintain the scoring average he’s had the last couple years.

I can’t put my finger on why I can’t call him great even though his skill set and athleticism almost forced me to as a card-carrying member of the “Basketball isn’t just scoring” club.


I feel like based on my usual values I should have him as like the 13th or 14th best player in the NBA but I don’t and I’m not entirely sure why. Anybody else have trouble ranking this guy?

[Kblaze8855]

I probably could’ve shortened all that into just asking if Bam Adebayo is Rasheed Wallace.

[LAL]

Made a post about him a year ago or so. It was something like "somethings not right/missing with Bam. Hard to explain".

[LAL]

I probably could’ve shortened all that into just asking if Bam Adebayo is Rasheed Wallace.

Rasheed was way different, team guy too but skillful, smarter and a great shooter too.

[DMAVS41]

He's a very robotic player...he reminds me of Harrison Barnes in that way. Bam is way better imo, but both lack a certain feel for the game that hurts them when the game requires some creativity... he can look uncomfortable and his impact, at least offensively, greatly diminishes.

Still would want him on my team for sure, but he's missing that "feel and creativity" that players on a higher level have imo.

[LAL]

Edit

[Full Court]

Personally, I think he's underrated. Obviously, Butler is the best player on the team, but Adebayo's impact is huge. There was a big difference in the Heat in the 2020 finals after Adebayo got injured.

[BigShotBob]

Lacks fluidity and decisiveness

[Kblaze8855]

Rasheed was way different, team guy too but skillful, smarter and a great shooter too.


Different type but the same kinda “This is a great player right here. But he doesn’t choose to play like it all the time.”. Where you don’t know if you should rank him by his ability or by his day to day performance. Makes you ask if players are who they are or if players are what they do. It would seem easy to say a player is what he does…but a lot of players do less because the team doesn’t require it. At that point it’s hard to take credit away for unselfishness that allows others to flourish but it’s also hard to give credit for the ability to do things you don’t.

Just tough all around.

[3ba11]

Bam isn't a legitimate 2nd scoring option and doesn't play like Rasheed, who was a pure shooter and go-to player (among the best turnaround J's in history.. great touch and extension).. so Rasheed doesn't seem like Bam to me

[tontoz]

The eye test doesn't do Bam any favors. He doesn't look good with the ball in his hands.

[ShawkFactory]

Bam isn't a legitimate 2nd scoring option and doesn't play like Rasheed, who was a pure shooter and go-to player (among the best turnaround J's in history.. great touch and extension).. so Rasheed doesn't seem like Bam to me

I don’t think the point is that he played like Rasheed Wallace. Just that the overall status league-wide is similar. And that you feel like they could be consistently better.

[Wally450]

I feel like he always dominates when he plays the Celtics, but plays so mediocre when I watch him play other teams, so I get what you’re saying.

[Kblaze8855]

Yeah i’m not comparing them as players just comparing how hard it is to accurately rank them. Sheed was a superstar talent who chose to score 15-17 a game and barely rebound. Hard to decide if he ranks where his ability says or where his day to day performance says. Made harder when his performance was limited due to unselfishness that helped his team. But at the same time…not taking over when he could hurt his teams as well. Makes you think a little is all.

[SouBeachTalents]

In regards to the Sheed comparison, I feel like Bam came much closer to reaching his max capacity than Sheed ever did. Sheed should've been a legitimate superstar player and he never came close. Bam, even if he could make improvements, has came pretty close to playing to his capabilities, at least imo.

[Xiao Yao You]

In regards to the Sheed comparison, I feel like Bam came much closer to reaching his max capacity than Sheed ever did. Sheed should've been a legitimate superstar player and he never came close. Bam, even if he could make improvements, has came pretty close to playing to his capabilities, at least imo.

yep. Rasheed was a big under achiever

[Micku]

In regards to the Sheed comparison, I feel like Bam came much closer to reaching his max capacity than Sheed ever did. Sheed should've been a legitimate superstar player and he never came close. Bam, even if he could make improvements, has came pretty close to playing to his capabilities, at least imo.

Yeah.

Bam is closer to reaching his max than Sheed. Imo, Bam could be very similar to KG. He has the body. He has the agility. He could protect the paint and guard the perimeter. He is a solid passer. He could hit a mid-range jumper or take it to the paint. But he doesn't have...that "it" thing.

I don't know exactly what it is. From the interviews, it seems like he is dedicated to his game. But he could be better than what he is currently. He could/should score more but doesn't.

Sheed could've been a legit superstar too, but he never came close like everyone has said.

I feel like Bam is going to be similar in terms of "not" maximizing his talent. I thought Lowry would find him easier looks and he'll demand the ball more. But it's not the case so far. Bam could be averaging like 20-24 ppg. The Heat needs more offense, but it doesn't seem like he is up to the task so far.

Bam's impact on defense is still amazing. Without him, Miami defense would be dead last. They already lackluster in both ends of the court, Bam is helping to make the defensive side even worse.

[Paolo Banchero]

Sheed won a title, and he was a great defender. I don't think Adebayo will amount to be a championship player.

[Atlantis]

bam is super strong but not super athletic from a basketball pov