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1 Advantage the Heat have over every Southeast Division team

By Wes Goldberg

Mar 6, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the basketball as Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) defends during the first quarter at Miami-Dade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the basketball as Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) defends during the first quarter at Miami-Dade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 25, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) guards Charlotte Hornets forward JT Thor (21) in the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) guards Charlotte Hornets forward JT Thor (21) in the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports /

Charlotte Hornets: Defensive Rebounding

We need to fold in the 2021-22 season to get a more representative sample for the Hornets, who were without LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges for most or all of last season.

Across both seasons, Charlotte ranked among the worst rebounding teams in the league. In 2021-22, the Hornets ranked 29th in defensive rebounding percentage. They ranked 19th last season.

By comparison, the Heat ranked fourth in defensive rebounding percentage. Bam Adebayo is a big part of that. According to the NBA’s tracking stats, no player boxed out on defense more than Adebayo last season.

The Hornets don’t have an Adebayo. Perhaps 7-foot-1 center Mark Williams blossoms in his second season, and Bridges is known to swoop in for a board here and there. But Charlotte is a bad defensive rebounding team, which means extra possessions for the Heat’s often mediocre offense.

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