Bam Adebayo has earned Erik Spoelstra’s trust.
Yes, he’s just 21 years old. Yes, he’s played in fewer than 140 regular-season NBA games.
But Spoelstra trusts the young big man to play him in a lot of late-game situations. Entering Saturday’s game against the Nets, Adebayo has logged the second-most fourth-quarter minutes (462) this season among Heat players behind only Josh Richardson (531).
“That’s unique,” Spoelstra said. “When we drafted him, I don’t think I would have anticipated that I would trust a 20-year-old and 21-year-old to be able to finish important games. But he’s earned it.