Yet again, Bam Adebayo is confident that he stands atop of the NBA’s defensive players.
The Miami Heat big man believes that he is the best defender in the league given his ability to affect the game and guard all five positions.
“I feel like I’m the best defender in the league,” Adebayo told Mark Medina of NBA.com. “I can guard one through five and I can guard anybody on the court. In past seasons, that’s how I got on the court.
“Defense is how I got to where I am today. That’s never going to be away. I’m always going to have the mindset of wanting to be in the top five on both units.”
On his part from the past few seasons, Adebayo has been vocal in his case as the best on the defensive end. But when it mattered the most, injuries frequently have limited him to earn the defense hardware that he’s been coveting.
He has been coming up short for the last three seasons, being just handed three All-Defensive team selections. While these are still considered an honor, he can only hope to reach the level he’s been aspiring to the most.
This season, Adebayo is averaging 21.8 points, 9.9 boards, 3.2 assists, and a 109.4 defensive rating.
