Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo Focused on Expanding His Game

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo was among the NBA's most improved players last season.

The Heat are expecting an even greater jump for Adebayo as he prepares to enter the fourth year of his career.

“He’s a multi-faceted player right now and his game needs to expand,” Heat team president Pat Riley said. “And it will expand because he is a player that’s willing to work at it. We know what he can do."

Adebayo put up career-highs in points, rebounds and assists while making his first All-Star Game appearance. It was exactly what the organization expected when they decided to build around him after trading the disgruntled Hassan Whiteside.

The Heat would like to see Adebayo, who was also a second-team All-Defensive selection, improve as an outside shooter and grow as a facilitator. He shot 55 percent from the field but the coaching staff has plans of utilizing more on the perimeter this season.

"I don’t think Erik Spoelstra would have put him in the situations as the main trigger man in our offense as a point-center, unless he had great confidence in his ability to handle the ball and make plays as a passer," Riley said. "He didn’t do that his rookie year. He didn’t do half of the things that he does now. And that’s just through steady work and growth, development, and confidence.”

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