Bam Adebayo, the Miami Heat’s standout big man, had a split season. While he anchored the defense all season, the team captain got off to a slow start offensively.
Adebayo averaged 15.5 points in his first 42 games of the 2024-25 season. Heat Nation raised concern early on, as the multi-time All-Star’s efficiency appeared to decrease during that time.
However, he rebounded by averaging 21.1 points in his final 36 games.
He had some strong performances along the way, including some games that included spectacular clutch plays down the stretch. Adebayo came up big in a road win over the San Antonio Spurs a few months ago with a buzzer-beating game winner.
Despite his colleague Tyler Herro being the only Heat player represented at this year’s All-Star weekend, Adebayo is expected to return to that platform in the near future.
The Miami Heat have a 101-77 record when Bam Adebayo scores 20 or more points in a game.
Adebayo concluded the regular season averaging 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals on 49% shooting and 36% from three in 78 games.
Adebayo concluded the regular season averaging 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals on 49% shooting and 36% from three in 78 games.
Adebayo concluded the regular season averaging 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals on 49% shooting and 36% from three in 78 games.
This year, he created history by becoming the Heat’s all-time leader in double-doubles. Despite his sluggish start, Adebayo’s persistence allowed him to finish his eighth season in the league with All-Star stats.
And his performance to open Miami’s first-round playoff showdown was no different. The game may have ended in a loss, but Adebayo’s confidence in shooting the ball was encouraging.
He finished the night with a team-high 24 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, shooting 10 of 22 from the floor. If the Heat are to regain home-court advantage in Game 2, they will need his offensive aggression and quality of play to continue.
He only made one of his five 3-point attempts in the first clash in Cleveland, but he has recently gained confidence from beyond the arc as well.
Miami will have a lot of work to do behind the scenes to make the required improvements before their next playoff game. But any possibility of upsetting the top seed Cleveland Cavaliers would depend on Adebayo leading the way.
Leave a Reply