Heat's Bam Adebayo Worth Considering for NBA Finals MVP

The Miami Heat are likely getting undervalued as one of the four remaining teams in the NBA playoffs, notably Bam Adebayo, who has a big edge at his position.

Adebayo’s Heat are the loan number one seed remaining after the Phoenix Suns were upset by the Dallas Mavericks in Round 2, and that should create an opening for some of Miami’s players to increase their value.

Kyle Lowry’s injury has helped demonstrate Adebayo’s importance offensively and we already know what he’s capable of on the defensive end of the court, which could put Miami over the top.

Adebayo currently has the ninth-best odds to be NBA Finals MVP at +2900. Miami has a deep roster of shooters, but the big man could find a size advantage in the paint against any of the three remaining teams and that could give the Heat an edge. Miami has been led by Jimmy Butler through two rounds, but they’ll need more from Adebayo as the matchups get more difficult and he’s presenting really solid value right now at his price.

The Miami big-man is second on the Heat in playoff scoring behind Butler at 14.6 points per game, but his impact is felt much more on the glass, where he’s bringing in 7.7 rebounds per game, which leads the team.

Whether he matches up with Al Horford or Robert Williams in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, Adebayo should be able to find an advantage on both ends of the floor, which could ultimately be the biggest difference in the series for Miami. The colossal test for Adebayo and the Heat may be moving past the Celtics, who’ve played very well through two rounds against the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks.

If the Heat can manage to withstand the Celtics, there’s no doubt that Adebayo will have a sizable advantage down-low against the Mavericks or Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Top-ten NBA Finals MVP odds on the FanDuel Sportsbook.