MIAMI — For years, there was no politicking, no hype, no campaigning, as if homage to the purity of Bam Adebayo’s contributions. For years, that has been the Miami Heat way when it comes to NBA honors and accolades.

But as the appreciation lagged, as the vote counts dwindled, a moment of reckoning has arrived, or, more to the point, a moment of recognition.

So scour recent Heat social media these days and numbers are offered that make you take pause.

And notice.

Such as:

— “Bam now has the No. 2 On/Off Differential (+11.3) in the league among players with 1,500 minutes played, trailing only Nikola Jokic. (No. 6 among players with 1,000 minutes played.)”

— “+7.8 defensive rebounding percentage differential with Bam on vs. off, #1 in the NBA w/1,000+ minutes.”

— “99.7 defensive rating with Bam on in February, #1 in NBA with 5GP, 20MPG.”

— “Since Bam became full-time starter (last seven seasons), 325 players have defended 250+ ballhandler used possessions. Bam is #1.”

Politicking? Hype? Campaigning?

At this point, amid a collective sense of lack of appreciation, likely all of the above.

But also real numbers and a reality of why the internal appreciation has never wavered, why the contract is what it is, why there was only one choice when it came to a successor to Udonis Haslem as captain.

“I think people get tired of seeing consistency,” Adebayo said of last season being omitted from the NBA’s All-Defensive teams for the first time in six years, an honor voted on by league media. “It gets boring when you see somebody just doing it over and over and over again. But also the criteria has shifted as I’ve gotten older in this league. You got guys making it that aren’t making the playoffs, they’re bottom of the league in records. So you see some crazy stuff happening now.”

Which is why the Heat’s recent rise could help in that regard, with victories in seven of nine going into Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center, the start of a four-game homestand.

“I don’t know if it’s just voter fatigue, but I’m always going to be first-team All-Defense. That’ll never change, no matter what the voters say. My peers know it,” he said.

“I’ve always been this. This is who I am. This is how I got in the league. This is how I got minutes. So that side will never go away.”

At the start of the season, the hype was the arrival of Norman Powell, on the way to his first All-Star season. That was followed by the revival of Jaime Jaquez Jr. to the level of candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. Then there was the pop offered by the newbies, with Pelle Larsson and Kasparas Jakucionis drawing notice. More recently, it has been the return of Tyler Herro and his three-level scoring, as well as Kel’el Ware meeting more of Erik Spoelstra’s mandates.

But there to backstop it all, as he has done practically since entering the league in 2017 as a first-round pick out of Kentucky, has been Adebayo — no matter the ever-changing lineup and rotation combinations this season.

“This year,” Spoelstra said, “I think, as much as any year, that Bam has proven that he should be in the consideration for Defensive Player of the Year because of that reason. All the moving parts, he’s defended in every scheme at the highest level. When he’s on the floor, our defense is probably top two or three. And when he’s off the court, it’s been a little bit different.”

So, yes, scoring up, pace up, offense at times at new heights for the Heat.

All while knowing that the constant on the defensive end wears No. 13.

“He’s great defensively every single year,” Herro said. “I mean, he’s the anchor. He’s been the anchor for our defense for the seven years that I’ve been here.”

Wiggins out

The Heat at midday Sunday formally downgraded forward Andrew Wiggins to being out Sunday evening against the Pistons, the second consecutive game he has missed due to toe inflammation.

This is with Powell (groin), Simone Fontecchio (groin) and Nikola Jovic (back) still out, along with Keshad Johnson and Jahmir Young remaining on G League assignment.

The Heat next play Tuesday against the visiting Washington Wizards.

The Pistons went into Sunday lacking Ausar Thompson (ankle) and Caris LeVert (wrist).