Bam Adebayo on DPOY: ‘I should have won it the last two years’

Bam Adebayo might prove able to push past last season’s disappointment of losing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Celtics, but he apparently is not letting go of being beaten out for NBA Defensive Player of the Year the last two seasons by Marcus Smart and Rudy Gobert. “I should have won it the last two years,” Adebayo told the assembled campers at the Heat’s youth clinic, when asked about his ongoing goals, “and I will win it this year.” Caesar’s Sports Book has Adebayo as the second choice, at +700, to win 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, behind only Gobert (+550), well ahead of Smart (+1000).
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Kevin Pelton @kpelton
Today’s adventures in aggregation. Last week, in our piece on potential Donovan Mitchell trade offers, I noted the Heat have to consider whether Mitchell is the star they want to go all-in to acquire:
(Incidentally, Bam Adebayo has since turned 25.) pic.twitter.com/zO8v0LvlCQ – 12:30 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Heat’s Bam Adebayo works to ignore trade rumors, “I can’t control that” nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/22/hea… – 10:01 AM

Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
From earlier — Heat’s Bam Adebayo on trade speculation, ‘I can’t control that’ sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 6:58 PM

Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Heat’s Bam Adebayo on trade speculation, ‘I can’t control that’ sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 3:20 PM

Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Expect Heat to take a step back after a quiet offseason? Bam Adebayo: ‘They’re always counting us out’ miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… Adebayo and Victor Oladipo spoke at a youth clinic today about where the Heat stands, their individual offseasons and yes, of course, trade speculation – 2:39 PM

Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
NEW: Expect Heat to take step back after a quiet offseason? Bam Adebayo: ‘They’re always counting us out’ miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… Adebayo and Victor Oladipo spoke at a youth clinic today about where the Heat stands, their individual offseason and yes, of course, trade speculation – 12:12 PM

Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Heat’s Bam Adebayo on trade speculation, “I can’t control that.” sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… “It is what it is, control what you can control. Obviously it’s an opportunity for something, but in my opinion, control what you can control,” center says at youth clinic. – 11:48 AM

More on this storyline

 

“A party familiar with the Heat’s approach told the Sun Sentinel that while there has been internal consideration of the team utilizing center Bam Adebayo as a trade component, at least one influential member of the organization has shot down the notion,” wrote Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. -via South Florida Sun-Sentinel / July 22, 2022

So not only wouldn’t Oladipo go there, teammate Bam Adebayo also wouldn’t – even though speculation has centered on the possibility that he might be going somewhere. “It is what it is, control what you can control,” said Adebayo, who has been viewed as a lynchpin to a possible deal for Durant. “Obviously it’s an opportunity for something, but in my opinion, control what you can control. I can’t control that. “So do what I’ve been doing. I get up early. I work out. Having fun with these kids. And I’m going to go home and go to sleep.” -via South Florida Sun-Sentinel / July 21, 2022

Both Adebayo and Oladipo were asked about the perception that the Heat have fallen behind by not making outside gains this offseason, having not added a free agent, but having lost starting power forward P.J. Tucker to the Philadelphia 76ers. “They’re always counting us out,” Adebayo said. “We The Kennel for a reason, the underdog. That’s our chip. You can believe what you want, you can say what you want.” -via South Florida Sun-Sentinel / July 21, 2022