Competition for Utah Jazz center: Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo
Vegas currently has one player listed with better odds to win DPOY than Rudy Gobert, and that is Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo.
The argument for Adebayo as DPOY is a strong one. He is one of the main pieces on a Heat team that is currently on top of the Eastern Conference and is top five in defensive rating in the entire league. The former Kentucky Wildcat not only holds down the paint for the Heat, but at 6-foot-9, he is also capable of switching onto most players at positions 3 through 5.
That versatility is extremely important in today’s NBA, where most teams without a star center run “small ball” lineups. While Adebayo doesn’t get near Gobert’s block numbers this season, he is averaging more than double the amount of steals at 1.5 per game, which is a testament to his versatility.
The biggest difference between the two big men, however, is the amount of help they have on the defensive side of the ball. The Miami Heat roster is riddled with defensive stoppers, including Jimmy Butler and P.J. Tucker, who are often regarded as two of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. The weight Adebayo and Gobert have to carry on defense is simply not the same.