Reports: NBA executive believes Bam Adebayo is a top 10-15 player if he is ‘aggressive’

Bam Adebayo has been a key contributor towards the Miami Heat's offense this season. Taking note of the tangible uptick in influence, an Eastern Conference executive expressed that he could be considered a top 10 player in the league in a recent interview with Heavy.com's Sean Deveney.

As an undersized center, Adebayo does an incredible amount work on both ends of the floor to ensure the team's win.

While he has carved out a niche identity for himself as a defensive stopper, Bam has recently been a more noticeable presence in Miami's offensive rotation. Taking on a bigger role for the team, Adebayo has truly shone this season.

Considering the influence he has on the floor, the Heat have benefited greatly from the young star being locked in.

However, Adebayo has often struggled with consistency. This was brought to light in a recent interview conducted by Sean Deveney where he spoke to an Eastern Conference executive. When asked about Adebayo, the executive said:

"When Bam plays aggressive, and when he is playing like he is the best guy on the floor, he is a Top 10, Top 15 player. But he doesn’t always do that, does he? You could see it during the conference finals against the [Boston] Celtics—when he was aggressive, Boston had no answer for him. That Game 3 up in Boston, he was unstoppable (31 points on 15-for-22 shooting)."

He added:

"But then he’d have games where he takes four or five shots. I think there is some frustration from the team that he doesn’t bring that aggressiveness every night. If he is the best player and Jimmy Butler is the No. 2 option and Tyler Herro No. 3, that is a lot better team than when Bam lets himself be the third option."

The executive's frustration with Bam Adebayo is quite valid. While Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro can score in bunches, the Heat are far more threatening when he is more locked in on the offensive side of things.

Given the importance of his role as a defender, the team will be wary of the intensity with which he plays on the offensive side of the ball. However, with Adebayo facilitating from the high post, Miami will find more ways to be effective as an offensive unit.

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Bam Adebayo has been doing more on offense

Bam Adebayo is a vital element in the Miami Heat's schemes. While his role as the defensive anchor sets the tone for Miami, he has been picking up more responsibilities on the offensive side as well.

The executive's criticism holds valid in many ways as Bam is often passive on offense. However, the Heat star has notched a tangible increase in shots attempted as well as field-goal conversions.

Adebayo has recorded an average of 15.3 field-goal attempts this season, which is an improvement upon the 13.0 FGA last season. Additionally, he has been efficient as he averages 53.1% shooting from the field.

While his FG% has come down, Bam Adebayo is notching a career-high 21.0 points per game this season. Coming off a 28 point outing to lead the Heat to a win against the Boston Celtics, Adebayo has been a very potent offensive presence in recent games.