Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem is baffled by the fact that Bam Adebayo has never won the Defensive Player of the Year award, despite being recognized as one of the NBA’s most versatile defenders.
On the latest episode of The OGs podcast, Shane Battier explained that the league tends to overlook players who excel in one-on-one defense. He stated, “People don’t get credit for being able to bone up because you can’t be that physical anymore. If you’re a one-on-one defender, you can’t really stop anybody anymore and don’t get credit for that.” Battier praised Adebayo for his defensive abilities despite not being able to fully utilize his physicality and speed.
Battier added that shot blockers like Wemby and Chet are often perceived as great defenders because they visibly affect shots, which influences the perception of good defense.
This season, Adebayo finished third in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named to the All-Defensive First Team for the first time, joining Alonzo Mourning and LeBron James as the only players in Miami Heat history to achieve this honor.
Bam Adebayo is set to sign a new lucrative extension with the Miami Heat, but he missed out on a larger salary bonus by not making the 2024 All-NBA Teams. If he had been selected, he would have been eligible for a four-year, $245 million extension. Instead, he qualifies for a three-year contract worth $165 million.
Adebayo had a strong season, playing in 71 regular-season games and averaging 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 52.1 percent shooting.
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