On Thursday night, a heavyweight rematch between the two participants in the 2023 NBA Finals, the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, took place. In an ideal world, the Heat would have their entire roster to try and get one over the team that beat them in the Finals. They were without Tyler Herro and Kevin Love, both of whom were nursing injuries. Still, the Heat were able to keep it competitive for the most part thanks to Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler en route to a 103-97 defeat to the reigning champion.

It's always a treat to watch the Heat try and rise to the occasion against a superior team. It's their execution, togetherness, and attention to detail that allows them to punch above their weight class. And for Nuggets star and reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, he credits Adebayo for being the fulcrum of the team on the defensive end, with the Heat center anchoring his team's defense at such an elite level.

“I think he's really effective in everything that he does. He can guard 1 through 5. He's the glue guy and the guy that is leading them. It's always a pleasure to battle against him,” Jokic said, per Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports.

There is no better praise than the one that comes from the arguable best player in the NBA. For Nikola Jokic, he relishes nothing more than playing against the highest level of competition imaginable, and for the Heat, it'll be music to their ears to hear that Bam Adebayo is one of the best-equipped players in the NBA to try and slow down the Serbian superstar.

Heat fans would know just how much disrespect Adebayo gets in Defensive Player of the Year conversations, but for Jokic, he is able to recognize just how impactful the 26-year old big man truly is. Adebayo is the team's swiss-army knife on defense, stout enough to cover big men on the post while also being arguably the most mobile nominal center in the NBA when it comes to dealing with perimeter players.

Bam Adebayo's presence ensures that the Heat team has such a high floor moving forward as they try to mount yet another deep run in the postseason.