Inside The Heat

Shaquille O'Neal On Bam Adebayo Being A Top 25 Player: "He Could Do More"

When the topic of Top 25 players surfaced, NBA great Shaquille O'Neal feels the jury is still out on Bam Adebayo

Shandel Richardson

Shaquille O'Neal On Bam Adebayo Being A Top 25 Player: "He Could Do More"
Shaquille O'Neal On Bam Adebayo Being A Top 25 Player: "He Could Do More" /
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If anyone knows about dominant big men in the NBA, it's Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal. 

When he was recently about Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo being a Top 25 player now, he offered praise but refused to hold back. While speaking on the Big Podcast, O'Neal said there is room for improvement.

Former Heat player Mario Chalmers agreed by saying Adebayo could do more. 

"I have to go through the list," O'Neal said to Chalmers. "I like Bam so I'm not going to rush on this answer. Hell of a player but you're right, he could do more." 

Adebayo is a three-time All-Star who has helped the Heat to two Finals appearances in four years. He's known for defense but Chalmers said Adebayo needs to produce more on offense. 

"I think he has more of an offensive package than what he's shown," Chalmers said.  

This comes after Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was overly complimentary of Adebayo's defense Wednesday against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Spoelstra has repeatedly endorsed Adebayo for Defensive Player of the Year. 

“Nobody will go toe to toe, minute for minute against Jokic other than Bam. Bam signs up for that and he’ll put himself out there and be vulnerable, you know, to the competition," Spoelstra said. "That’s the competitor of all competitors. That’s why I always say year after year that he should be in consideration for defensive player of the year because he can do things and will put himself out there he tried to do things that the majority leave alone because it’s easier just to not do it because sometimes you’re gonna get beat.”

Bam Adebayo on the verge of becoming the Miami Heat's next superstar

Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat, a Fan Nation channel for Sports Illustrated. He has covered the NBA since 2010.

TWITTER: @ShandelRich

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here

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