Former player doubts Bam Adebayo's ability to protect the rim

Johnson's comments are fair. Adebayo isn't a physically imposing big man who operates as a shot deterrent around the rim. He is not seen as a shot blocker or rim protector. 

However, that doesn't mean Adebayo isn't capable of guarding the paint. The NBA has evolved. Not every big man needs to be a stellar drop defender with a crazy wing span. 

Adebayo makes his presence felt with the pressure he applies to ball-handlers and cutters. He plays higher up the floor. He tags rollers around the nail. He boxes out early. And he uses angles to shade guards and wings toward help defenders, where they're forced to pick up their dribble or take an ill-advised shot. 

Rather than impacting players at the rim, Adebayo's game is about forcing players into making mistakes before they get there or being so sped up their shot quality takes a drastic hit. 

Miami was an NBA finalist last season. They surged out of the play-in tournament and won the Eastern Conference. Clearly, the style of defense Adebayo plays has been working and will continue to impact games. 

Johnson is right; Adebayo isn't a rim protector and shouldn't be relied upon to block shots at a consistent rate. However, that doesn't mean he's a negative asset on the defensive end; it just means he goes about his job in a different way. 

In an NBA that's ever-evolving, Adebayo is proof that there's more than one way to be effective in your role on either side of the floor.