Inside The Heat

Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo Takes Step Back Defensively According To Voters

Alex Toledo|
Apr 26, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) dribbles the basketball as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) defends in the third quarter during game three for the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Apr 26, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) dribbles the basketball as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) defends in the third quarter during game three for the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

Miami Heat fans continue to receive bad news. First came a historically bad playoff performance after an ugly end to the Jimmy Butler era. Then, the No. 11 NBA draft odds (which would've been the Heat's had they not made the playoffs), became the No. 1 pick for the Dallas Mavericks.

Today, Bam Adebayo did not make the All-Defensive Team for the first time since 2019.

Adebayo received one First Team vote and 16 Second Team votes. The frontcourt players who made it over him were Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, Draymond Green, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ivica Zubac.

As disapointing as the season was, the Heat finished the season as the ninth-ranked defense in the league by defensive rating. Even when filtering for the post-Butler version of the team the defense held up, ranking 10th in those two months. They sported the ninth-best halfcourt defense but ranked 21st in transition defensive rating.

Adebayo's advanced defensive stats continue to show his impact on that end. Adebayo has ranked in the 90th percentile or higher in Defensive Estimated Plus Minus, including 94th percentile this season. As far as the counting stats, he averaged 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks.

Adebayo also showed how effective he can be playing next to a more traditional big as he started alongside Kel'el Ware beginning since early 2025.

It's hard to feel good about where the Heat's defense stands though. In their four-game first round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Heat gave up a 136 offensive rating, the worst mark in the Playoffs by about 18 points per 100 possessions.

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Alex Toledo
ALEX TOLEDO

Alex, who was born in Miami, is also a producer, co-host and reporter for the Five on the Floor podcast. He has covered the Heat and NBA since 2019 as a season credential holder. He studied journalism at Florida International University.