3 reasons to be excited for the Miami Heat’s 2018-19 season

Bam Adebayo’s Summer League Sample

When Bam Adebayo took the court in Summer League, he bucked the notion that he was going to hit a sophomore slump.

His arms rippled with the deliberate manifestation of a summer’s worth of lifting.

He strode up the court with the effortless stride of a gazelle.

Adebayo had earned total autonomy in Miami’s summer showcase, having the chance to act as one of the oldheads, on a team comprised of 20-somethings and undrafted talent.

It would have been easy to justify Adebayo’s performance as a function of the NBA’s Summer League, a time of relaxed dress codes and rules that push young players to show out in front of scouts.

In 69 games with the Heat last season, Adebayo played purely at center and would rarely have the chance to initiate a fast break or hang out on the wing as he did in July.

But as summer camp winded down, reports suggested that Adebayo’s summer showcase wasn’t a fluke. In Miami’s workouts, he was encouraged to “be aggressive,” by asserting a well-rounded approach to development.

Among the things on Adebayo’s to-do list were hitting 3’s and improving his handle, both of which he showcased in Miami’s scrimmages.

The Heat have a track record of empowering its youth; Wade embodied that mission when he took over the 2006 team and ushered them past the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

Adebayo might not be the same generational talent that Wade is – or he could be, the jury is still out – but continuing to explore his basketball ceiling is one of Miami’s best chances to prepare its core for the primetime.