So, I made a list of the top 10 players under the age of 25. (Feel free to compare it with ESPN’s list because mines better)
- Luka Doncic
- Jayson Tatum
- Ja Morant
- Trae Young
- Lamelo Ball
- Anthony Edwards
- Bam Adebayo
- Darius Garland
- Brandon Ingram
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Honorable Mention: Jarrett Allen, Deandre Ayton, Desmond Bane, Tyrese Maxey
It’s excellent, I know. WhileI’m going to dive deeper into each one of these players over the next couple of months, I need to take a moment to focus on one player in particular. The player who just finished Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, Bam Adebayo.
The Boston/Miami series is tied up, and Jimmy Butler just had another 40 point explosion to keep the Heat alive. He’s been a warrior for this whole playoff run. On the other end of the Miami Heat duo it’s been another story. Bam has struggled this entire series and playoff run.
Bam’s season stats:
19.1 points per game, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists
Bam’s Playoff stats:
14.2 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists
In the Game 6 elimination game, he played 41 minutes, and only scored 6 points. In this entire series Bam has only averaged 5 rebounds a game. It’s not just stats though; watching him you can see Bam is struggling with being an undersized center. He’s not able to overpower Boston’s front, and hesitates to attack on the offensive end.
This is a decisive moment in Bam’s development as a player. Jimmy needs help. The Heat needs more firepower. If the Heat want to finish the Celtics off for good, Bam needs to be great.
