bam-adebayo-hd.jpg

3 - Bam Adebayo

6-10, 245 Power Forward/Center
Kentucky Freshman
Birthday
07/18/97 (26.7 yrs)
Hometown
Gatesville, NC
High School
High Point Christian
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
8
Size
8
Defense
8
Strength
8
Quickness
8
Leadership
7
Jump Shot
7
NBA Ready
8
Rebounding
8
Potential
8
Post Skills
6
Intangibles
8

NBA Comparison: Markieff Morris/Tristan Thompson

Strengths: Phenomenal physique for a 19-year-old (6’10”, 250 lbs) … Elite athlete for a player of his build … At his best in the open court … Can turn the burners on and beat opposing bigs down the floor easily … Active on both ends of the floor … Finds himself often within the vicinity of the ball on every play … Willing to battle on the interior … Great as the roll man in the pick-and-roll … Dives hard to the rim … Effective setting screens … Really lets the guard come to him instead of attacking the defender he’s supposed to screen … Plays above the rim … Will finish any lob thrown within his catch radius … Keeps possessions alive offensively on the glass … Scores well at the rim … Finishes through contact … A lot to handle in the post for defenses … Seals off his man well in the post … Keeps his defender on his back on the low block … Has a nice compact form for a big man … Comfortable shooting between 10-16 feet with the possibility to extend his range further out … Versatile defender … Can hold his own when switched onto guards … Has the lateral agility and quick feet to keep smaller players in front of him … Has the beef to stonewall opponents in the post … Strength shows when defending down low one-on-one … Excellent rim-protector … Times his jumps well on blocks … Doesn’t swipe or swat at the ball, but meets it at the top of it’s trajectory … Confident enough to jump with any player attacking the basket … Defends fairly well without fouling … Enjoys the limelight. Confident and outgoing personality …

Weaknesses: Despite decent form was not a great free throw shooter (65.3 percent as a freshman) … For all his muscle, was not able to reel in many defensive rebounds … Basketball IQ is lacking, as he doesn’t always respond well to double teams  … Finds himself in the wrong place or misses a rotation far too much … Has not developed much of a back to the basket game … Does not have a go-to move on the low block … Poor assist to turnover ratio (0.8 APG/ 1.7 TOPG) … Is not strong with the ball … Leaves the ball low where smaller players can smack it away … Body has likely reached its peak physically … More of an athletic specimen playing basketball than a basketball player with athletic components … Did not show much growth or development in his lone season at Kentucky … 1.5 shot blocks per game could have been higher for an athlete of his caliber …

Outlook: Adebayo’s impressive athleticism and youthfulness will definitely get him drafted. From that point on it will be on both him and the team to maximize his potential … Finding the proper fit will be important for Adebayo’s future prospective as he could easily fall out of favor if he is not in the right situation … His ability to defend and protect the rim is what will get him on the floor and developing a well-rounded offensive game will keep him out there …

Notes: Measured 6′ 8.75” barefoot, 6′ 9.75” in shoes, 242.6 lbs, 7′ 2.75′ wingspan, and 9′ 0” standing reach at the 2017 NBA Draft Combine … First name Edrice, nickname is “Bam” …

Brandon Jefferson 5/13/17

Strengths: 6’10 physically imposing athletic forward … High level athlete with great size. Plays with aggression and a high motor throughout the game. Shows no mercy when attacking the basket. Likes to compete, never shies away. Possesses great strength and coordination. Runs the floor very well … Very reliable finisher, shoots a high percentage within close. Plays above the rim in transition and in the half court. Has good hands and a high level of awareness. Plays well through contact. Has soft touch around the rim when he doesn’t finish with a dunk … Very good rebounder. Very active on the offensive glass where he attacks for put backs and tip slams. Difficult for physically inferior opponents to keep him off the glass even when they put a body on him. Has solid skillset for being able to get by on superior tools and athletic ability at the high school level. Shows a developing fade away in the post. Can face up and score from midrange. Good shooting form within comfortable range … Good defender. Moves his feet well enough to hedge on the perimeter. Good shot blocker …

Weaknesses: Needs to improve his post-game moving forward. Also needs to work on finishing moves when he can’t catch and dunk against bigger defenders at the next level. May need time getting used to facing opponents with similar size and ability … Has much room to expand his shooting range but provides a solid foundation. While he shows some ability he has room to improve his midrange and face up game …

Outlook: Adebayo will bring his superior size and athleticism to Kentucky next season. With the changes in Kentucky’s frontcourt, the opportunity for Bam should be available and he has the ability to make an impact from the start.

Evan Tomes 7/1/16

Related News

Facebooktwitterredditmail