No pressure or anything, Bam Adebayo, but if your Miami Heat end up facing the Milwaukee Bucks in the postseason, it’s on you to repeat what you did on Monday night another four times.
Adebayo has been a revelation for the Heat this season after the Hassan Whiteside trade, breaking out with crazy good numbers (16.2 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.3 bpg) that make him a Most Improved Player candidate.
And on Monday, he helped hold Giannis Antetokounmpo to just 13 points on 33.3 percent shooting, much of that due to his defense. Per ESPN, the Greek Freak hit just one of his 10 shots when Adebayo was on him, and Antetokounmpo scored exactly zero points in transition.
Watch this move to stop him:
Most improved and locking down Giannis with styol
From your Miami Heat, Bam Adebayo@common🐐
pic.twitter.com/xn5b6EgOHC— MagnusBarstad (@MagnusBarstad) March 3, 2020
That’s gorgeous defense right there. Not many big men move their feet like that to stop Antetokounmpo and his giant steps. He knew it was a big statement performance and decided to finish the game with this monster block:
Bam Adebayo with the exclamation point on the win vs Bucks#heattwitter pic.twitter.com/xUja3TUCjQ
— NBA Hustle (@Hustle_NBA) March 3, 2020
Could Adebayo do this to get four wins if the two teams were to meet in the postseason? That’s where I have some doubts. But that’s exactly what the Heat want you to think to play the underdog card. They have other ways to win games other than their Swiss Army knife center — getting hot from deep (48.6 percent in the win) and bench depth (they’re throwing out Goran Dragic, Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala, who is still rounding into shape).
But if any team has a shot at the Bucks, it’s the only squad that has beaten them twice this season. And it’s on their big man in the middle to find a way to stop the NBA’s best player again.
[jwplayer WX8Jio0J-q2aasYxh]