The Miami Heat put together a roster this offseason that looks very different from last year. While there are a lot of the same players, most will be playing very different roles.
Of course, there are some new pieces of note. Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, Markieff Morris, and even Omer Yurtseven are all going to be new faces on the roster this season.
With all the moving pieces, some players are going to play drastically different roles than they have in years past. This will definitely affect most of the role players, but also some of their stars as well.
The one thing that is almost certain to change is the scoring breakdown. Who takes what shots is a major part of what roles players are supposed to play throughout a season.
With Lowry in town, he is bound to take some shots away from other players. Tucker will as well, and Duncan Robinson should also be in line for more shots as the Miami Heat just paid him a huge chunk of change.
On the flip side, players’ defensive roles will also be changing. With the amount of defensive firepower on hand, they should be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.
Tucker and Lowry should take some of the pressure off of the big guns, but everyone is going to play an important role on defense. It’s going to take the whole farm if they want to be a top defense.
One player to monitor will be Bam Adebayo. As he enters his fifth NBA season, how will he help the Miami Heat win? What will his role be on both ends of the floor?
What role did Bam Adebayo play for the Miami Heat last season
Last year, Bam Adebayo was the defensive anchor of the Miami Heat. He finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and some believe he was snubbed from being top-three.
Adebayo is one of the best paint protectors in the league, and can even step out on the perimeter and guard smaller players. He is one of only a few players who can effectively guard 1-5.
Other players around the league who can do this include Ben Simmons and Draymond Green. That’s about it, putting Adebayo in a very elite defensive club.
The Miami Heat finished as a top-ten defense in the league, and Adebayo was a huge part of that. Having him in the paint makes life easier for everyone else on defense.
That was his primary role – to protect the paint at all times – but he also played a fairly large role on offense. He was the team’s second-leading scorer and passer last year.
He was one of the primary facilitators on the team last year, while also acting as a force in the paint offensively. Despite this, some want more from him.
There has been a large outcry for Adebayo to take more shots this season, with the likes of Chris Bosh even commenting on the matter. The biggest question is, will Adebayo be able to handle it?
What role will Bam Adebayo play for the Miami Heat this season
Based on the moves they made this summer, the Miami Heat will go into the season with championship aspirations. If they want to reach those goals, Bam Adebayo is going to have to step up.
Defensively speaking, Adebayo is going to have to play the same role he did last year. He will have to be the defensive anchor for the Miami Heat and lead them on that end of the floor.
Ideally, Adebayo has a Defensive Player of the Year season. From here on out in his career, that should constantly be the goal for Adebayo every season.
The real change in Adebayo’s role will come on the offensive end. He may have been the second-leading scorer last year, but he could have to lead the team in that regard this season.
Neither Jimmy Butler nor Kyle Lowry is a scorer by nature. Both are pass-first players but have the ability to lead the team in scoring if they need to.
However, in the perfect world, both of them are able to defer to another player as the leading scorer. If Adebayo can be that scorer, the team will be in a very good place.
Butler’s playmaking has played a huge role in Adebayo’s scoring success, but Lowry should be able to help even more. All he has to do is be more aggressive.
If Adebayo can simply take more shots and embrace a role as the team’s primary scorer he could take his game to the next level. That’s what his role has to be this season on the Miami Heat.