In April, the Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart was announced as the first guard to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award since the 1995-96 season. Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo finished fourth in voting and received first-place votes.
Five weeks later, the two are facing off in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat lead 2-1 in a tightly contested series. Both teams will be counting on their defensive anchors to propel them ahead in what could be a seven-game clash for the ages. Adebayo opened up with Joe Vardon of the The Athletic about his thoughts on DPOY and having a chance to advance to the NBA Finals:
“No, I want to win (a title),” Adebayo said about the DPOY award. “I already forgot about the award. We’re trying to win a championship, trying to advance in this series. I’m not worried about any awards.”
So far in the postseason, Adebayo has averaged 14.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He has also contributed 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks on average. The former Kentucky Wildcat isn't shying away from making an impact.
Ahead of Game 4 in Miami, the Heat will need Bam to have another big game in order to secure an advantage in the series. Without Adebayo's defensive presence, the Heat would be at the mercy of Jayson Tatum's and Jaylen Brown's offensive arsenal.
With the next leg of the ECF just hours away, the Heat will undoubtedly be counting on Bam to be the anchor of their defense as they look to take the next step towards a title.
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