Bam Adebayo, Freshman, Center, Kentucky
Overview:
Edrice “Bam” Adebayo had a highly productive season at Kentucky, scoring 13 points per game on 60% shooting from the field. Adebayo is a raw prospect who is slightly undersized as a true center at just 6-10. He does have good length with a 7-3 wingspan and a beastly physical profile at nearly 250 lbs. NBA teams will likely see him as a high energy reserve big man that can play a role in the league on limited minutes.
Adebayo’s offensive production wasn’t diversified at Kentucky. He scores essentially all of his field goals at the rim, most of which come on emphatic dunks. He’s mobile for a center and the Kentucky guards were always looking to throw him lobs in transition. Adebayo can be used as a roll man on screens, where he’s quick off the floor for easy finishes. Another large chunk of his production comes from his work on the offensive glass, which may be his best NBA trait. He grabbed 3.1 offensive boards per game, often tipping the ball back in on his first jump. Adebayo isn’t as skilled at grabbing the ball and coming down with it. He doesn’t have good touch on follow-up shots and was subject to bringing the ball down, leading to turnovers.
With Adebayo being undersized at 6-10, teams will have to consider how his game will translate to the bigger, faster NBA. He relied mostly on his strength in college, scoring on dunks and getting to the free-throw line. However, when facing NBA centers he likely won’t be able to simply over-power his way to the rim. He has a low skill level and his feel for the game isn’t very refined. His post-game is extremely raw. He has poor footwork and no touch on his hook shots. He wants to do nothing except turn to his left shoulder and throw up a right-hand shot and defenses can easily sit on that. Where he does show some promise is with his jump shot, which isn’t completely broken. He didn’t display any ability to hit jumpers at Kentucky, but he did shoot a decent 65.3% from the free-throw line. Developing into a mid-range shooter would be huge for his offensive output at the next level.
Adebayo has potential to be a useful defender in the NBA, but he needs to become more focused and improve his motor on that end of the floor. He has the strength to defend post players and is also mobile enough to contain the perimeter. He does have the length to possibly be a rim protector, but his reach is average and he will need better awareness to be a reliable shot blocker. He also lacks the awareness to be a strong defensive rebounder, which could cost him playing time. He only grabbed 4.9 defensive rebounds per game, which is one of the worst numbers among big men in the draft.
Final Projection:
Bam Adebayo likely projects as nothing more than a high-energy big man off the bench in the NBA. His offense doesn’t have many aspects to it and his reliance on his strength won’t work as well at the next level. Adebayo is a raw player who lacks a degree of skill that’s necessary to last in the NBA. If he’s able to add some consistency and awareness to his game, then he could be able to use his strong frame to his advantage. He should be able to immediately contribute with his offensive rebounding, but needs to improve his touch around the rim. Adebayo’s lack of height could restrict his upside and he’ll likely be a second round selection that a team will hope to further develop.
