Just a day after coming off one of their worst defeats of the year, the Miami Heat, arguably, had one of their best wins of the year on Thursday.
Going into Brooklyn to face a Nets team that wasn’t completely healthy but still had the services of Kevin Durant, Goran Dragic, Andre Drummond, and Seth Curry, to name a few, the Miami Heat were able to pull out a win.
Here are the two kickers though.
The Miami Heat would get it done without Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, or P.J. Tucker in the lineup for them. On top of that and as it should be a lot of the time anyway, regardless of who’s playing, they got it done largely off the play of Bam Adebayo.
Well, he had a ton of help from Tyler Herro and the rest of his team, guys like Caleb Martin, Max Strus, and others but still, it was Bam’s play that really set the tone. Finishing the night with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists on 12-15 shooting from the floor, Adebayo dominated.
As he should on every night though.
Miami Heat: This Version Of Bam Adebayo Takes Them To Another Level
First off, he really likes playing Brooklyn, as he has some of his bigger showings against them. Secondly though, this Bam Adebayo totally takes the Miami Heat to another level and surely, makes them a title contender.
For so long, up until his latest stretch after a horrendous defeat to Boston a few weeks back, you have wanted Bam Adebayo to be more aggressive. Having all the skills, ability, and physical presence in the world, he just hasn’t.
In a moment of relapse in the Brooklyn game near the end, here was an example of how Bam has typically looked in years past.
This was a play in crunch time that could have cost the Heat big by not getting a bucket—or a good look even, however and luckily for them, the Nets didn’t make them completely pay for it.
After Bam Adebayo held the ball for about five seconds or so, literally begging someone to come take the pass from him, it ended in a bad shot off the side of the backboard by Gabe Vincent in the most crucial of moments.
This is Bad Bam and the one you don’t want to show up. This is the one that seems unsure of his ability or his game.
This is a Bam you never want to see and haven’t, again, since Boston.
Miami Heat: With This Bam, The Elevator Stops On The Floor Marked ‘Title’
However, there were so many instances in this contest where, not only, did Good Bam show up, but he was actually Excellent Bam in those moments.
Here he was on the Miami Heat’s following possession, doing what he was supposed to do, what he should have done on the previous possession, and getting the bucket that would give him 30 points.
Most will point to the difference in the opposition here, noting who was guarding him on either possession. The fact of the matter is this though.
Whether it be Kevin Durant, Bruce Brown, Goran Dragic, or Andre Drummond for the Brooklyn Nets, for one reason or another and be that quickness, strength, or athleticism, none of them should be able to guard him alone.
He has to realize that too. He has seemed to on most occasions since that Boston game though, so you can’t complain that much.
The overarching point of it all is this though.
Not only does this Bam Adebayo take the Miami Heat to another level, as a team, but it stands to put them squarely in contention as one of the five or six teams you know that’ll compete for the title in the end.
If he plays up to this peak, they shouldn’t have a problem actually winning it either.