The Miami Heat have the potential to win the NBA title this year. However, in order to do that, they’ll need all of their pieces operating at a high level and to be quite frank—the peak of their powers.
While, traditionally, Bam Adebayo has been an all-around marvel on the floor for his Miami Heat teams, contributing heavily to the entirety of the offense and defense, he hasn’t necessarily sought out his own individual shot on the offensive side of the ball.
To contrast and though he is an elite team defender as well, he takes on the individual challenge of guarding whoever needs to be guarded on that side of the ball, from other bigs, wings, and even lead ball-handling guards if need be.
Over the past couple of games though, that’s been a different story, with him having, arguably, his most aggressive stretch of basketball that he has ever played. Averaging over 15 attempts per game across his last six games played, 15.8 to be exact and something apparent since the Boston massacre, Adebayo has shown a new level of offensive prowess.
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo Has To Continue To Take This Look For His Team
Well, at least he’s shown a more forthcoming willingness to do so.
With that in mind though, here is a huge part of what would help propel his Jump to the next tier, cementing himself as an offensive player to be feared as much as he is on the defensive side of the ball. The example comes from their most recent contest against the Brooklyn Nets.
https://twitter.com/ballyheat/status/1492698300130201604?s=12
With the defender dropping way off of Bam, under the rim he’s defending specifically, that affords Bam maximum space to take his shot.
This was a strategy heavily deployed by Brook Lopez and his Milwaukee Bucks in last season’s first-round series sweep in the playoffs.
As seen here though, not only can Adebayo take that shot with rhythm and regularity, but he absolutely should be taking this shot. If it isn’t already apparent, here’s why.
It’s pretty simple. This shot, not only, puts points on the board but it also opens things up elsewhere for him and his teammates.
Miami Heat: If Bam Adebayo Is Taking It, It Opens Up More For Him And His Team
If that explanation was too simplistic for you though, here are a few more details. It’s dual-pronged in nature.
From a spatial perspective, making the defender have to come up unclogs the painted area, where terrors like Jimmy Butler or Caleb Martin can abuse the rim.
Heck, even Bam himself, which is where the next part comes in. Being more skilled than most other big men out there, the guys guarding him, it would be more than simple to get by them once they committed to playing up.
This is the last part of his evolution into an offensive force. Taking that mid-ranged jumper when it’s available, not only, gives him and his team scores at those moments but also positively impacts the way that he and his team can manipulate the defense.
It’s not always this dramatic, as he’s even open when there are guys three steps closer to him or playing him tighter than this guy is, but the point remains the same. He, simply, has to take it.
It would allow the rest of his stuff to be that much more effective or allow him to get to more stuff, because this shot right here puts the defender on their heels. It’ll come though and you have that faith.
These last six games scream towards that faith, while he also put it on full display if you can’t hear the shrieks. This, though, is the final piece of what should put him on another tier as an offensive player—matching his level on the defensive end.