Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler have been named to the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Second Team, both leading the Second Team with 111 points apiece. This marks as Adebayo’s second All-Defensive Team selection and Butler’s fifth. Additionally, it is also the 15th and 16th time a member of the HEAT has been named to an All-Defensive Team and just the second time multiple HEAT players have earned the honor in the same season, joining Alonzo Mourning and P.J. Brown (1998-99).
Adebayo, who finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting this season, averaged 18.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.17 steals and 1.03 blocks while shooting 57 percent from the field. He helped anchor a defense that allowed just 10.4 fast break points and only 41.3 points in the paint per game, both the lowest in the NBA. The HEAT also finished third in opponent field goals made per game, third in charges taken, fifth in points allowed, fifth in deflections and sixth in opponent field goal percentage. Adebayo defended multiple positions all season, defending 351 shots from Guards, 336 shots from Forwards and 138 shots from Centers while holding the guards to just 39.3 percent shooting, including just 33.3 percent from three-point range. He posted a team-high 29 points, dished out seven assists and blocked a career-tying five shots on March 25 vs. Portland to become just the fourth player in team history to record a 25-point, 5-assist, 5-block game and he grabbed the 2,000th rebound of his career on February 24 vs. Toronto, becoming the youngest player in franchise history to achieve the feat. Adebayo capped the season leading the HEAT in blocks (66), offensive rebounds (142), defensive rebounds (431) and total rebounds (573) while finishing second in steals (75).
Butler, who led the NBA in steals per game this season, averaged a team-leading 21.5 points, 7.1 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 2.08 steals, becoming the first HEAT player in franchise history to lead the league in steals. He recorded nine-straight multi-steal games from March 31 – April 16, the longest such streak in team history. He started the season recording a career-high seven steals in Miami’s Opening Night Game on December 23 at Orlando, the most in a season-opener in HEAT history. He recorded the 1,000th steal of his career on January 30 vs. Sacramento and grabbed at least eight rebounds in 11-straight games from February 1-20, becoming the first HEAT non-center to accomplish the feat since Shawn Marion’s 13-game stretch from February 26, 2008 – November 1, 2008. Butler led Miami with 108 steals and has now recorded at least 100 steals in eight consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in the NBA.