The Miami Heat need Bam Adebayo to continue to do his best work in clutch

San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots the ball against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) and forward KZ Okpala (11)(Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports)
San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots the ball against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) and forward KZ Okpala (11)(Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports)
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Miami Heat
Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat blocks a shot by Terance Mann #14(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat will need Bam to continue to elevate his game in order that they continue to elevate.

Where others are sliding, Bam Adebayo, though, is surging. He is up in points (1.9 to 2.1), taking giant leaps shooting from the field (54 to 64 percent), and the stripe (66 to 75 percent).

Games like the closing moments against the Brooklyn Nets stick out as an exclamation point, emphasizing his ability to finish a tight game. That’s why, around these parts, it’s known as The Bam Game.

However, this is bigger than just one game. This is another arrow added to the quiver.

So, why does this matter enough to write about it?

The Heat Will Need To Properly Close Out Games In Order To Properly Close The Season

This season’s playoff-seeding race to the finish will be unlike any other previous season. With the addition of the play-in games, not only are more teams in the “playoff” field but that inevitably and also means more teams are on the proverbial bubble.

The usual coast to the finish isn’t applicable. You cannot do that this year.

As teams feel the pressure of the end drawing near, the games will likely tighten up. Leads typically allowed to balloon this season will be tamed in the waning weeks of the season.

As Miami prepares for the wild new world that is the start of the playoffs this season, it will be crucial to have a player outside of Jimmy Buckets who can close out a game. It’s just the truth.

Yes, clutch stats are a small part of what an NBA player does on a given night and in any given clutch-classified moment throughout the season, but in a year of growth, it will be one specific area in Adebayo’s development that could make or break Miami’s playoff positioning and chances in said playoffs. That’s real food for though and hard cold facts, simultaneously, as the NBA season draws to a close.