Heat captain may be in historical class of his own on defense

If anyone needs a good example of “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,” look over here: The Miami Heat’s team captain, Bam Adebayo, is two games into his return from his hurt left big toe that caused a six-night absence, and he hasn’t had to shake much rust off.

Let’s be real, if this were former Heat center Shaquille O’Neal, no one knows how much he would’ve ballooned on the scale. Adebayo being closer in mentality to Alonzo Mourning makes him the right type of leader for a team that won’t fly under the radar if it continues at its level.

The wins over Golden State’s skeleton crew and the Chicago Bulls in Emirates Cup play were Adebayo's best two-game stretch of the season as a long-range shooter, making 55.5 percent. It’s no accident he’s improved so much because he looks like Chris Bosh shooting in warm-ups.

After Wednesday’s win, coach Erik Spoelstra said, “He just does so many things for a basketball team… and offensively, I think this really fits his strengths because he’s really good at a lot of different things, and if you limit it to one or two things, it’s not really fully maximizing his skillet, [and] it was great to have him back for sure.”

His presence also gives Spoelstra a defensive anchor for any lineup, allowing for creativity. Friday’s win in Chicago was the sixth time Adebayo and Kel’el Ware have started together this season (4-2), and this option allows the former to blow up sets, playing higher than he would if he were the only big.

He doesn’t foul often, only committing them on 2.2 percent of the team’s plays and is the Heat’s most vocal communicator on defense. Missing the latter was a big reason why the schemes couldn’t hold up without him.

Keep in mind how the Heatles were a top-three defense before Adebayo’s injury, falling to 22nd without him, and are no. 1 over the last two outings. He’s a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate and might get some real consideration by the voters if the Heat sustain their 51.25 win pace, and if he stays under the missed games limit, which he comfortably is right now.

Let’s go further: When going down the list of best defenders in Heat history, Adebayo may be at the top. He’s not as big and strong as Mourning and doesn’t possess his shot-blocking prowess, but he is more versatile. Being able to contain regarded perimeter players is a mental edge as much as it is on the court.

Adebayo is built for speed and out of all the big men in the NBA, he’s the best guarding outside. Defense can’t always be measured by shot-blocking numbers and steals. To quantify his impact, you need eyeballs on the game to see how those with the ball, except Nikola Jokić, struggle against him. Anyone could check the advanced stats for his defensive on/off numbers, but seeing it in real time is like the difference between seeing a body on TV and in person.

Can this get better? Signs still pointing to Monday for Miami Heat star

Miami's depth, Kel'el Ware highlight the Heat report card in Chicago

Kel'el Ware bringing two-way impact, a certain Miami Heat energizer and other takeaways from blowout of Bulls