Heat Pick Bam Adebayo in 2017 NBA Draft, 3rd Kentucky Player Selected in Lottery

The Miami Heat took a chance on Bam Adebayo's long-term potential as a defensive stopper Thursday, taking him with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.

Adebayo, a 6'9 ¾", 242-pound big man, spent one season at Kentucky. He averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor.

The Kentucky Wildcats provided some perspective behind the selection:

Fellow Kentucky alumnus Devin Booker congratulated his fellow Wildcat:

ESPN.com's J.A. Adande tweeted about how Kentucky has become a factory line of NBA prospects:

BBallBreakdown's Shane Young and Fox Sports' Dan Carson think Adebayo will be a good fit in Miami:

ESPN's Jorge Sedano is a little less enthusiastic:

"

I don't love Bam Adebayo to the Heat

— Jorge Sedano (@SedanoESPN) June 23, 2017"

"The key to Bam is, Bam doesn't know [how talented he is]," Kentucky associate head coach Kenny Payne told Chris Dortch of NBA.com. "He's innocent like that. He's not like some of the other guys who think 'I'm already there.' And so he's willing to learn, a willing listener, and he wants to be great. It's going to happen, and when it does, it's going to be unbelievable.

"He's come a long way, but we won't see it at Kentucky. He hasn't scratched the surface of how good he can be."

ESPN's Chad Ford ranked Adebayo No. 18 overall on his big board coming into Thursday's draft. 

Part of the appeal of Adebayo is that he's so raw. His offensive skill set has barely even begun to develop; he's essentially a guy who can dunk and work inside the paint exclusively at this point. NBA teams have increasingly shied away from those talents in recent years as stretch play has become more vital; Adebayo will have to develop some sort of jumper to be effective at the next level.

Even if he finds a way to stretch out to 15 feet on a semiconsistent basis, that will go a long way. Adebayo has real appeal as a long defensive stopper inside and has the quickness to switch on nearly every pick-and-roll. He can be a fantastic defensive asset if his mental and offensive game ever catch up to his potential.