"Evan Mobley is closer, but Bam can be Giannis too" - Jeff Teague thinks Bam Adebayo can reach Giannis Antetokounmpo's levels of dominance originally appeared on Basketball Network .
When looking at Bam Adebayo 's resume, people often underestimate that he's actually been one of the best big men in the league over the past several years. The Olympic gold medalist from Paris is a three-time All-Star, a member of the All-Defensive First Team, and a player who, alongside Jimmy Butler , led a solid Miami Heat squad to the NBA Finals twice in the last five years.
Still, there are times when it feels like he's not aggressive enough on the court. Maybe it's simply that Miami's team-oriented system doesn't allow him to fully spread his wings and become a full-fledged superstar. In his fourth season, he flashed the most of his potential, averaging 18.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 block per game on a phenomenal 57.0 percent shooting.
That season, he was a nightmare for the opponents on both ends of the floor. He was the hub through which Erik Spoelstra ran his system, and with his soft touch and great feel for passing, he started showing signs that he could grow into one of the league's very best players in the years to come.
However, to this day, he's remained stuck at that level, and the feeling is that he's even dipped a little in production, with his assists dropping and his field goal percentage slipping. The efficiency and surgical precision that once defined his game haven't been as present, leaving an impression that he could do much more. However, Jeff Teague described Adebayo's potential best on his Club 520 Podcast.
" Bam Adebayo can be Giannis Antetokounmpo in like a different kind of way," Teague said . "Evan Mobley is closer because his arms and the way he's built. But the way Bam move like he can dribble and sh*t."
Teague was likely focusing on Adebayo's obvious raw physical strength. But the sense is that he doesn't use it enough. The highest field goal attempts he's averaged in his career were 14.9 two seasons ago. For comparison, Giannis averaged 19.7 attempts per game last year and 10.6 free throws per contest.
Of course, the play styles are different, but the impression is that Bam has a lot more inside him than what he showed last season. Now that Butler is gone, Adebayo, alongside Tyler Herro , should have even greater usage. Still, the system needs to tilt toward him.
After Butler's messy exit, Dwyane Wade revealed the advice he gave to Adebayo when the Heat were falling apart during a losing streak.
"My conversation with Bam when they was on a 10-game losing streak and what we would talk about was not letting go of the rope. You got to run through this tape. Stuff look bad right now, Jimmy just left, everything crumbling down, don't let go of it," Wade said . "I think Bam emerged as a leader. I think Bam is now the leader of the Miami Heat ."
Many in Heat Nation expect Bam, now 28 and in his prime, to finally make the leap in his career. There's still time, as he certainly wouldn't be the first late bloomer in the league. But while he's played at an All-Star level, now it's time to raise that to All-NBA if he wants Miami to remain a serious contender in the East. The Heat needs to run their offense through Bam next season if they want the best from him.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
