Heat big Bam Adebayo criticizes media’s approach to picking DPOY: "They look at steals and blocks"

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo showed his disapproval with how the media, especially NBA award voters, pick the Defensive Player of the Year. The big man has been named an All-Defensive Team member five times but the DPOY remains elusive to the 27-year-old.

Adebayo isn't too happy about his lack of serious consideration for this honor despite his good performances. He is a solid player on offense, but his impact on the defensive side is way more. On Tuesday, he offered his take on the criteria that many voters use to give this award:

“It’s getting stops. I’m not into advanced stats. Who can guard their yard 1-5? Whatever coverage your coach puts you in, you can excel. That, to me, is the DPOY, but the media has different opinions—they look at steals and blocks."

Adebayo is one of the most versatile defenders in the league. Despite being a big, he has the speed and agility to switch and defend positions from 1 through 5, putting the clamps on his opponents on the perimeter while also being a threat in the paint.

In the past five seasons, Bam Adebayo finished fifth (2020), fourth (2021), fourth (2022), fifth (2023) and third (2024) in DPOY voting. Rudy Gobert won his fourth DPOY last season, becoming the third player in NBA history to accomplish this number, but his ability to defend the paint doesn't translate to other zones, which is the case with Adebayo.

Erik Spoelstra has ambitious plans for Bam Adebayo this season

After a first-round elimination in the 2024 NBA playoffs, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff will implement some changes to have more chances to win this season. One of those will be giving the keys of the offense to Bam Adebayo.

The coach said that the player must be aggressive to pursue the 3-point shot, which isn't common for the big man. This would make Bam even more valuable for a Heat team that sees him as the start of the present and future.

Spoelstra said:

"Some games, it might be 5/7 attempts, some games it might only be 2 but the fact he's feeling more comfortable out there helps the versatility/diversity of our offense."

Adebayo averaged 35.7% from deep last season while attempting 0.6 3-pointers per game. Be ready for those numbers to increase this campaign.