Bam Adebayo wasn’t great for the Miami Heat during these NBA Playoffs, but he will continue to be great for them for many years to come.
Regardless of what the critics have to speak, this series was a personal wake-up call for Adebayo to find improvement this summer. From consistent faith in his outside shooting to knowing when to attack to take over games, it’s an imperative goal for both Bam and the Heat training staff to collectively figure out his offensive game that translates night to night.
Nonetheless, it’s important to understand that there’s plenty of room for Adebayo to not only continue his development, but to become an eventual leader for this Miami franchise. While Bam’s individual improvements should be a priority for them, the Heat’s biggest concern should be more towards what team will be out on the floor come opening night of the 2021-2022 season.
After signing a five-year and $163 million maximum extension last November, Miami will have Adebayo locked up until the summer of 2026. His teammates in Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Precious Achiuwa, and KZ Okpala join him as the only five players currently guaranteed to return to the Heat next season.
While still having deep title aspirations, it’s key for the Heat to keep Adebayo at the forefront of that direction. He’s already proven early in his career that he can perform at the highest level and if the 2020 Playoffs weren’t a good enough sample size, then you just haven’t watched him enough to realize his potential.
He wasn’t good during these playoffs and heck, we would agree that he was bad. However, the slander being thrown on his name right now is uncalled for, because we all know he’s much better than this series showed.