Postgame Show: DPOY

Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Postgame Show: DPOY
Date: March 9, 2026

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and crew dive deep into NBA basketball, focusing on Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo’s transformative impact. The conversation explores the often-underappreciated value of defensive stars, the narrative around Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), and how both analytics and local sentiment intersect when evaluating players like Adebayo and Draymond Green. The tone oscillates between playful and analytical, culminating in a lighthearted poetic tribute to defensive standouts.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bam Adebayo’s Defensive Impact and Value

• Jeremy opens with recent Heat stats: Only three players (Shea Gilgeous-Alexander, Derrick White, Bam Adebayo) have gone +215 over 15 games this season, indicating elite impact on the floor.
  “Those three players Shea Gilgis, Alexander, Derrick White and Bama Tobayo.” (01:09)
• Host (Dan) underscores how local fans don’t fully value Bam’s blend of defense, versatility, and availability, even though he anchors one of the league’s best defenses:

  “I do think that locally people underestimate the value of a guy like that who is that good defensively, able to guard five guys and always available.” (03:37)

• The hosts highlight that Bam’s only rival in on/off court impact is Jokic, yet the perception is skewed by offensive stats and Bam’s lack of DPOY recognition.

2. The “Can You Win With Bam?” Debate

• Analyst voices skepticism about Bam’s ability to be a true franchise cornerstone, citing his upcoming $50 million salary:

  “I don’t believe that you can win with Bam making $50 million.” (02:14)

• Jeremy rebuts with advanced stats:

  “Literally the only person with a greater impact...is Nikola Jokic.” (02:30)

• The group agrees Bam is critical to team success but disagrees whether he can be the “best player” on a title contender.

3. Defensive Value vs Offensive Stardom

• The conversation pivots to how media and fans undervalue defense in all-time debates:

  “Draymond Green gets more credit for energy and attitude than he does for Defensive Player of the Year... It’s offense that we fall in love with.” (04:02)

• Dan and others contend that teams like the Heat define their identity around defense, but this is rarely celebrated at a national level.

4. Miami’s Defensive Schemes & Player Development

• Jeremy details how the Heat’s rotation changes (pairing Adebayo with Khalil Ware, adjusting defensive schemes) allow them to mask other deficiencies and maximize Bam’s value:

  “They’re playing different schemes at different times with different lineups...he’s able to mask for some of those deficiencies.” (05:53)

• Cites Eric Spoelstra’s trust in Bam (“he’s in his prime”), running both offense and defense through him, which has improved team performance.

5. The “Homer” Accusation & Local Appreciation of Defense

• Dan accuses Jeremy of being a Heat homer—but points out that true appreciation for defense is rare, even among local fans and broadcasters.
• References Mike Ryan’s poetic serenade to Draymond Green, showing that some fans do celebrate defense in quirky ways.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

Bam Adebayo’s Value

• Dan:

  “We don’t celebrate it correctly, we don’t measure it correctly. And the reason the Miami Heat are good at defense is because that guy can guard anybody on the floor.” (04:20)

Skepticism Over Max Contracts

• Analyst:

  “I wasn’t saying that because Bam was not performing well this season. I was saying that because next year Bam’s salary goes up to four $50 million and I don’t believe that you can win with Bam making $50 million.” (02:14)

Draymond Green Poetic Segment

The show takes a comedic turn as they share a poetic, almost song-like tribute to Draymond Green’s defensive prowess:

• “De boy, you’re my glue guy in the bay and I love you. You have made your team a fave. Cause you are good. Drain green. There’s so many positions that you can guard. I shall sing of your defense forevermore.” (08:09)
• “Deep boy you can guard one thing through five well and I like that you have come into the league and destroyed it. The voters have a clear east coast agenda and it hurts me cause your games start at 10, 13. They miss them.” (09:24)

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Important Timestamps & Segment Guide

• 01:09 — Jeremy on Bam, Shea, and Derrick White’s advanced stats
• 01:38–03:37 — Extended debate on Bam’s value, Jokic vs. Bam in on/off splits
• 04:00–05:00 — Defensive value, measurement; Draymond’s defensive reputation vs. offense bias
• 05:21–05:53 — Running offense and defense through Bam; Heat’s lineup/defensive strategy changes
• 07:42 — Eric Spoelstra’s challenge theatrics and their real impact
• 08:09–10:30 — Poetic/dramatic serenades dedicated to Draymond Green’s defense

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Tone and Style

• Balance of analytical and casual, with characteristic wit and irreverence.
• Technical insight (on/off analytics, defensive schemes) interspersed with playful banter and self-aware “homer” ribbing.
• Lighthearted interlude (rap/poem) underscores the show’s unique blend of sports nerding and comedy.

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Summary

This episode is a deep, colorful dive into the underappreciated art of defense in basketball, with Bam Adebayo as Exhibit A. The cast both celebrates and critically examines the Heat center’s impact, challenging the way the NBA and its fandom evaluate greatness. It’s a thought-provoking and often hilarious roundtable about the unsung heroes of defense, wrapped up with a tongue-in-cheek serenade to Draymond Green—giving listeners a rich blend of insight, debate, and absurdity.

Transcript

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[Chorus/Background Vocalist]

Start of the day start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day Start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day Start of the day it is the start of the day

[Jeremy]

Per Cooper Moorhead, the manager of basketball content for the Miami Heat, There have been three players in the NBA this season to go plus 215 in their time on the court over the course of 15 games. Those three players Shea Gilgis, Alexander, Derrick White and Bama Tobayo.

[Host/Interviewer]

Presently you're going to keep doing this with Bam Adebayo. He's been great recently and they played Brooklyn twice.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, he's one of the best players in the NBA. His on off numbers are only worse than Nikola Jokic. He's the only player who affects winning more than Bam Adebayo this season is Nikola Jokic.

[Analyst/Critic]

He's been really great since like mid January. And it's weird because if you remember the conversation at that point, you trade,

[Host/Interviewer]

you traded him, you. It was shocking to hear two time champion broadcaster Zaslo come out and since then he has been exceptional. But you traded him. You said it's over. Enough of this. I don't think that he's a number one. I don't think you can win anything with him as your best player.

[Analyst/Critic]

My opinion has. Well yes. See, my opinion there hasn't changed. Like I wasn't saying that because Bam was not performing well this season. I was saying that because next year Bam salary goes up to four $50 million and I don't believe that you can win with Bam making $50 million.

[Jeremy]

I just told you that. In terms of on off, literally the only person with a greater impact when they are playing in the lineup versus when they are not is Nikola Jokic.

[Host/Interviewer]

Jokic is plus 10 when he's in there and whenever he's not in there, he's. They're minus 10. The nuggets. Over the last few seasons there in. In my lifetime, there's never been that particular discrepancy between on off numbers with. Where a guy makes you a champion when he's on the court and when he's not on the court, you're the worst team in the league. Kind of bad. Bam Adebayo, the Miami Heat. When Barry Jackson put out their ten commandments, philosophically, one of them was, we will not trade Bam Adebayo. I do think that locally people underestimate the value of a guy like that who is that good defensively, able to guard five guys and always available. I think because defense is something that sports fans and media have a real tough time getting around empirically, that there's a misunderstanding that the Miami Heat have been good at defense. They've got the fourth best defense in the league this year because he's at the center of it. Like, that's not up for debate. It's weird though, right? I don't think there have been many teams ever where the fan base understands that our centerpiece is a defensive player and know how to do the measurements on that. Draymond Green gets more credit for energy and attitude than he does for defensive player of the year. Centerpiece for a champion. It's offense that we fall in love with. So we give Golden State a lot of credit for how good they are offensively without doing the appropriate measurements on him being an unprecedented player at his size. Defensively, we just don't. We don't celebrate it correctly, we don't measure it correctly. And the reason the Miami Heat are good at defense is because that guy can guard anybody on the floor. He really is an amazing athletic specimen. It is strange, right, to watch Khalil Ware block all the net shots and you're like watching somebody and you're like, good God. How is it possible that that person is that athletic? But I do believe because Bam is SM smaller, it's funny to call someone who's 69 smaller, but because he's smaller, I don't think that he gets the credit he deserves defensively. And that's not even an opinion. That's factual. He's not actually ever considered for defensive player of the year when he should be.

[Analyst/Critic]

And like, I get what you're saying, Jeremy, that the only guy who he's up there with in plus minus is the best player in the world, and that's Nikola Jokic but yeah, Nikola Jokic is at. With him as the best player, they're a championship contender. And with Bam as the Heat's best player, they proven to not be a championship contender.

[Jeremy]

They have been a lot better since they decided to run the offense through him, actually, because that's. That's been the big difference contender. I don't know. I mean, I don't think so. I don't think so this season necessarily. But I do think that when you build the roster correctly around that player, as opposed to building your roster around the player who was here before. Right, Because Bama Tobiah has been your glue guy through all of this, right? He's the. He's the versatile one. He's the one who some nights will take a lot of shots, other nights doesn't have to take.

[Host/Interviewer]

Always available, though, not a small thing,

[Jeremy]

and always anchoring your defense, no matter who's in there. The. The reason things have gotten better and the reason they're able to play where and out of bio together now is because they're playing different schemes at different times with different lineups. So with the starting lineup, they're playing one defensive scheme and he's out there anchoring that defensive lineup. And now you in their rotation, they're taking him out earlier so they can pair him with Khalil Ware, a guy he's brought alongside him, and he's able to mask for some of those deficiencies because they're able to play his own defense. It's a totally different team because they've decided, you know what? Eric Spolzer said it after this past game, he's in his prime. They're going to play him a ton of minutes. They're going to run the offense through him, they're going to run the defense through him, and they've been a better team as a result of it.

[Analyst/Critic]

I'm a big fan of Bam. I don't want it to come off sounding like I don't want Bam on the Miami Heat, that I don't like him.

[Host/Interviewer]

You traded him two months ago.

[Analyst/Critic]

I don't think he can be your best player.

[Jeremy]

I get it.

[Analyst/Critic]

And right now the evidence supports me.

[Jeremy]

I understand there's only one champion. And so ultimately, like we've always talked about it, there's winning and there's misery. Right. What I'm saying is that there's one player in the league, in the Eastern Conference, who is at that level in terms of impacting winning when he's on the floor. Spam out of bio.

[Host/Interviewer]

I think that Jeremy sounds always incredibly homorific when it relates to the heat, but. But not quite as homorific as the other day when I heard both Eric Reid and John Crotty just raving about how when he calls challenges, SPO runs out on the court and tries to influence the officials. They're going to video. There's nothing you can do in terms of influencing them when they go to video. Once they go to video, you. You could just watch the video. There's nothing that Eric Spoelster said before they watch the video that's going to have any impact on what it is they see on the video.

[Analyst/Critic]

I agree with you. I like it. You could see SPO like when he. When he does calls the timeout and he twirls the finger, he's literally like muttering under his breath, you are so bad. That was such a terrible call.

[Host/Interviewer]

He comes out on the court. But there are people around here too, who do actually appreciate defense. Mike Ryan once serenaded Draymond Green.

[Poet/Rapper 1]

De boy, you're my glue guy in the bay and I love you. You have made your team a fave. Cause you are good. Drain green. There's so many positions that you can guard. I shall sing of your defense forevermore.

[Poet/Rapper 2]

And your de versatility Come back with your wet shine Depoy you deserve to win it. Toughen the pose cause you're so strong.

[Poet/Rapper 1]

Deep boy you can guard one thing through five well and I like that you have come into the league and destroyed it. The voters have a clear east coast agenda and it hurts me cause your games start at 10, 13. They miss them.

[Poet/Rapper 2]

And those calves not the ones from Cleveland. Imma shower you with love.

[Poet/Rapper 1]

He knows he stole your trophy.

[Poet/Rapper 2]

Jumpers are tough cause you're so long. Deploy your D is the only D I'll ever need. And beside me is where I want you to be. Cause deeper there's something I want you to.

[Host/Interviewer]

You know

[Poet/Rapper 1]

you're the best in the league. You're my d boy. You're my d boy.