Miami Heat: More Decisive Aggression Is All That Can Propel Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) looks to move the ball defended by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) looks to move the ball defended by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)
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Miami Heat
Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat handles the ball in the first half against the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo Has To Get To Stuff Before Defense Can Get To Him

Whether that means catching, facing, and attacking immediately without his half-second to second jab step action or going right into the midrange pull-up, Adebayo has to be quicker in his moves to counter the defensive approach they are taking with him.

That should help him be more effective for the Miami Heat, in general, but also against the Celtics’ two main defenders for him. Going quicker and more decisive should allow him to get his shot off before Robert Williams, the talented shot-blocker, can get there.

It should also allow him to keep Al Horford off-balanced enough to blow by him. After he’s been blown by a few times, the space will, inevitably, increase for Bam’s jumper or to make something happen for a teammate.

At the end of the day though, Adebayo has to be more decisively aggressive to counter what the Celtics are doing.

That’s his only play here, as to wait any longer or take an extra second to see how they are playing him—will only allow them to be that much more effective in taking him out of the game.