Miami’s frontcourt players were a key piece to holding off the Indiana Pacers.
Bam Adebayo: A
The Heat’s second All-Star did everything and then some in their first-round series against Indiana. Bam Adebayo was more of a Batman-lie than a Robin against the Pacers, as he averaged: 15 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1 steal, and 1.3 blocks per game.
His having found a rhythm bodes well for Miami, given he’ll be matched up with the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Vucevic in the next round of playoffs.
Kelly Olynyk: C
After setting the NBA’s bubble on fire in the eight seeding games, Kelly Olynyk made little to no noise in the first-round series against Indiana. Miami’s back-up center posted 6.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1 assist over just 13.8 minutes nightly in round one.
Olynyk is capable of giving more, at least on the offensive end of things, we’ve seen that much. Hopefully, he’ll be more aggressive and not pass up open looks in the upcoming series.
Meyers Leonard, Udonis Haslem, Chris Silva: N/A
None of the aforementioned big men made it onto the floor for a moment of the Heat’s initial playoff series. If you were approached about a gamble regarding which one would make it onto the court first this playoffs, Leonard is a shoo-in given his status as a starter in the regular season.
Their series with the Indiana Pacers is a thing of the past, with the Miami Heat currently preparing for what they hope will be another series victory in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Whether the Orlando Magic or Milwaukee Bucks, expect this South Beach squad to come out firing.