Norris Cole Views Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo As Better Defender Than Anthony Davis
The Miami Heat drafted a cornerstone in center Bam Adebayo, whose improvements have led a former NBA player to place him above another of the NBA's top big men.
Former Heat guard Norris Cole recently expressed his confidence in Adebayo by ranking him ahead of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis. Cole agreed that Davis has him beat on the offensive end but gave him the upper hand on defense.
"He's the best two-way player in the league. Defensively, I believe he is [better than Davis],” Cole said on the 'Gil's Arena' podcast. “And he assists better, playmake better. He just don’t score better than Anthony Davis. But he shot-blocks just as good if not better. He switches and plays man-to-man defense just better.”
Adebayo appeared in his third All-Star game last weekend, where he was named a starter for the first time in his career. Davis was a reserve for the West in his ninth appearance. The Heat star averages 20.2 points and 10.6 rebounds compared to Davis' 24.9 points and 12.2 rebounds.
Adebayo's greatest advantage stems from his versatility on defense. His ability to guard each position sets him apart from the majority of superstars in the league. He is recording 1.1 blocks and one steal per game in 45 appearances. Meanwhile, Davis is often seen guarding the opposing big men, leading to an average of 2.5 blocks.
Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Inside the Heat.
He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram @anthony.pasciolla.
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