The Miami Heat are a good team. However, in order to win like they want to and are capable of, they’ll need to be better.
That goes for everyone on the team. That goes double for their very best guys and that certainly includes Bam Adebayo.
Prior to the year, we thought that he would need to average 15 field goal attempts per game to be his best self and that thought remains.
Tracking it since, he has gotten off to a decent start.
Though he hasn’t quite made it to 15 attempts per yet, he’s right there. After the Detroit Pistons win of Tuesday, he’s averaging 14.64 shots per game.
Again, that’s right there at that 15, but he has to close the deal. Here is why that’s important.
And to be frank, it’s not as complex as it seems. It’s basic… basketball stuff.
Miami Heat: Tracking Bam Adebayo’s FGA… Not Quite To 15 Yet
If he’s taking the shots, good stuff will happen. He’ll make the looks or something else good for the Heat will happen as a result of his aggression to take the look, because they have to react to the potential damage he can do.
It’s really that simple. His lack of said aggression really showed itself in Tuesday’s contest.
In a game where they were without much of their big man depth, their top-two options in Isaiah Stewart and former Miami Heat guy, Kelly Olynyk, Bam Adebayo should have had a monster game.
Instead, he only took 10 shots, to finish with 15 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. You love it all and every bit helps the team win, but he’s too good to be settling and especially when the opposition is that thin.
In a specific example, there was one play along the baseline, where Bam Adebayo had the tiny Cory Joseph guarding him. You know, the one that’s almost a foot shorter than Bam is for the Pistons.
About seven feet, at most, from the hoop… Bam proceeded to scramble for someone to pass it to.
Miami Heat: Though Still Impactful, Bam Adebayo Can And Should Give More
That should never happen. That’s an, absolute, never, not ever, no-way.
He should, not only, embrace those types of things, but hope for them. He should punish teams, players, and defenses when those types of things occur.
These are the moments where his aggression has to tell him to be selfish and go get his. Because in all actuality, being selfish in those moments, is the best thing for his team.
Again though and most importantly, the Miami Heat got the win that night and he contributed mightily. However you still want to see him be his best self on a more regular basis.
That doesn’t mean that he isn’t getting better though, as he’s been showing that he isn’t the same guy that he has been. He’s been getting consistently more aggressive, yes.
But there is more meat on the proverbial bone and much more room to blossom… right now. That’s all.
With the way he’s going, feeling it, able to get to his spots, moves, and different looks… he should be sprinting towards that 15 field goal attempts a game number. Really, because he’s THAT talented.
Get it done Bam. Please.