Coming out as a one and done at Kentucky, Bam was pegged as a rim-running athletic big who would make up for their low skill level with length, athleticism, and defensive upside - someone in the mold of Capela, Robinson, Mark Williams, Claxton.

Some snippets from DraftExpress’s scouting report: "Adebayo’s offensive game is unrefined, doing most of his damage around the basket…

he looks to dunk every shot possible…

He lives off the shot creation of others…

he wasn’t all that effective offensively outside the paint, with his 65% free throw percentage and poor jump shooting numbers indicating he has a ways to go to develop his shooting range…

There are several concerns about Adebayo’s defensive profile, most notably in his rim protection and defensive rebounding. He’s never been an elite defensive rebounder…"

With a high FG%, a low FT% and averages of 13/8/1 at Kentucky, he sure looked like a typical low-skill, defensively minded, athletic big on paper. But in the NBA, he’s been so much more. Not only has he more than fulfilled his defensive potential to become a DPOY-level player, he has:

• Jumped from a 65% FT shooter in college to an 80% FT shooter
• Become one of the better ball handling bigs in the game
• Grown from a 0.8 APG big in college to one of the best passing bigs in the league
• Developed one of the best midrange shots in the league (50% on 10-16ft jumpers)
• Increased his PPG every single year of his career

I think Bam’s development arc has flown a little under the radar because it’s been incremental, and not as headline-worthy as the gaudy stat jumps from MVP-level players like Jokic and Giannis.

But to go from being a raw, rim-running project to becoming one of the most skilled & versatile bigs in the league and a bonafide go-to scoring option on a perennial playoff contender is nothing short of incredible.

Kudos to Bam - an incredible success story of player development.