Miami Heat Need More Touches For Bam Adebayo After Slow Offensive Start

Bryan Townes | Oct 31, 2024

Oct 30, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) shoots the basketball over New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Despite the positivity and hype from the offseason and during the Olympics, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo has been underwhelming to start the season.

And the Miami Heat have struggled against the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks because of it.

Through four games, Adebayo is averaging 11 points, 7.3 rebounds, and three assists on 39.5 percent shooting and has missed all of his three-point attempts. There is a noticeable decrease in nearly every category from his last five seasons. His rebounds per game are the lowest since his second year in the league. Before this season, Adebayo has averaged at least 18.7 points over the last four years.

“Obviously, we need to get the ball to Bam, too,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s on me. I have to find a way. This is not about a new offense. This is about having all of our guys healthy. We have the most weapons that we have and we score 107 points. That’s not what we’re aiming for right now. Everybody has got to feel aggressive. They have to feel like themselves, and we’ll get there. That’s on me to get Bam in his spots where he can feel more comfortable.”

A vital reason for the struggles is he is primarily the fourth offensive option on the Heat. In previous years, Adebayo was the third option behind Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler. With the addition of Terry Rozier and the central core guys healthy, he has regressed significantly. 

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook.