After impressing scouts over the weekend in workouts with the Hornets and Nuggets, Kentucky big man Bam Adebayo has shot up mock draft boards.
Adebayo is projected to go 25th overall in Thursday's NBA draft, according to the last mock draft by the AJC's Chris Vivlamore. Draft Express moved him up six spots from 24th to go to the Pacers at 18. ESPN's Chad Ford slotted him in at 20th to the Blazers. With the Hawks drafting 19th and being rumored to select a big man, Adebayo has suddenly become a possibility.
One current NBA player has recently been a popular comparison for Adebayo – Dwight Howard.
Both Adebayo and Howard stand at around 6’10”, and while Howard has added muscle, he came into the league at around the 250 pounds that Adebayo is currently listed at. Howard’s slightly longer wingspan gave him a higher standing reach, but Adebayo’s vertical numbers beat Howard’s by three inches.
"I see the body type (similarity)," Adebayo told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. "I've got wide shoulders, he's got wide shoulders. I'm muscular and he's muscular. We're both 6-10 and above."
In terms of skillset, Adebayo is expected to accel at the similar aspects of the game that Howard has dominated in the NBA – rebounding, blocking shots and working in the pick and roll. But like Howard has done this offseason, Adebayo showed at his workouts that he has the ability to work on spreading the floor. He hit 12 of his 23 NBA-range three pointers at his Charlotte workout. He missed his only attempted three at Kentucky.
Adebayo averaged 13 points, eight rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in his only season at Kentucky.
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