Norman Powell Has A Question: Why Hasn't Bam Adebayo Won DPOY?

The veteran that he is, Norman Powell has gone the extra mile to endear himself to the Miami Heat. That includes a genuine expression of admiration for the skill set of one of his teammates.

Appearing on Prime’s “NBA Nightcap” last week, Powell spoke openly about his appreciation for Bam Adebayo’s defensive chops. With Adebayo sitting just a few feet away from him on the Prime studio set, the newly acquired Heat forward ran down the list of the 6-foot-9 center’s capabilities.

“What he’s able to do is to guard [positions] one through five, switch, and keep guys in front,” Powell said. “He’s right there in the company with Draymond [Green].”

The comparison to Green is a lofty one, given that the Golden State Warriors star is a former Defensive Player of the Year. Powell then admitted that he’s taken aback by the absence of DPOY hardware on Adebayo’s trophy case. “For me, it’s crazy that he hasn’t been a top candidate to win Defensive Player of the Year,” Powell said of Adebayo.

The closest that Adebayo has come to winning the accolade was the 2023–24 season, when he finished as one of the three finalists. (Rudy Gobert ended up winning his fourth DPOY award that year.) In nine seasons, Adebayo has been named to the All-Defensive team five times. For his new teammate, though, it’s clear that he deserves the richest prize on the defensive end.

Powell, who had stints with the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Clippers prior to his arrival in Miami, opened up on the strategy that his former teams would devise in order to limit Adebayo’s impact.

“Being an opposing player, we planned for him. Try to not have him in actions, take him out of the paint,” Powell recalled.

Now, he won’t have to worry about the big man disrupting his shots in the interior. Playing alongside Adebayo, who is both a rim protector and a prolific rebounder, will afford Powell more opportunities to get out in the open court and score easy baskets.

It’s early in the season, and teams are still building chemistry with their 2025-26 lineups. Powell has a long way to go in terms of strengthening his bonds with the Heat players, but when it comes to Adebayo, a relationship based on professional respect seems to be in the works.