Ex-Miami Heat Player Prefers Bam Adebayo In Chris Bosh Complementary Role
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo has battled inconsistency this season, causing fans to have a hot or cold reaction to his play.
The Heat have considered Adebayo a cornerstone player for quite some time but are they willing to put up with the lulls in play?
“I would think, though, that he has enough cache with the organization, if he’s having a bad season or subpar season, that’s just what it is,” former Heat player Grant Long said. “The guy has proven that he’s legitimate. It’s not like he’s a fluke, a flash in the pan. He’s been so consistent in this organization for some mean years.”
Long thinks Adebayo is more suited for being a complementary player. He put him in the category with Chris Bosh when he teamed with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
“Having said that, I never believed that he was a No. 1 guy,” Long said. “He was a complementary player. He’s an excellent complementary player. Chris Bosh, to me, wasn’t a No. 1 guy. You can go back to Toronto and say he had all of those numbers. I can also say they were empty numbers because they didn’t do anything. They didn’t get anywhere with those numbers. Not until he was coupled with LeBron and Dwyane, did those numbers actually mean anything.”
Still, Long said he remains a fan of Adebayo. Just in a secondary role.
“Bam is the same way [as Bosh],” Long said. “You put him with some guys where he does what does now all of a sudden is magnified on a winning team. It’s great but he’s not a No. 1 guy. Both guys are excellent players, very fine players. No disrespect to their games but they’re just not No. 1 guys.”
Troy Hudson is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at troyehudson@gmail.com
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