Film work: Bam Adebayo shooting 3s has already transformed the Heat's offense

Not sure if you heard, but Bam Adebayo shoots 3s now.

He took 11 in the Miami Heat’s inter-squad scrimmage and followed that up by shooting five in the first half of Miami’s preseason opener. He’s making it a point to get them up, and even if he doesn’t average (checks stats) double-digit 3-point attempts per game this season, it’s important to look at where those attempts came from within the flow of Miami’s new-look offense.

Here’s Adebayo’s shot chart from the preseason game vs the Charlotte Hornets:

Five 3-point attempts, three mid-range attempts and one shot at the basket in 17 minutes.

Bam Adebayo shooting 3s has opened up the floor for the Heat's offense.

Now here’s his first 3-point attempt of the game, which came on Miami’s first possession: 

Bam and Jimmy Butler are spaced to the corners, Nikola Jovic slips through the middle of the defense and into the dunker spot and Terry Rozier and Alec Burks are handling at the top. Hornets center Nick Richards either loses Bam or doesn’t care that he’s in the corner since Adebayo made only 15 3s last season. After taking a dribble inside, Burks finds him for an easy look. Basic stuff.

Adebayo took two more 3s when left wide open at the top of the arc. Opponents will mostly give him those. He went 1 for 2 on them in Charlotte.

Both of those shots were there for Adebayo last season. He’s just taking them now. But Miami’s preseason opener offered a couple of looks that will be new to this season.

Here’s the first one:

Rozier drives and, when he’s cut off, kicks to Nikola Jovic. Then Rozier lifts and Jovic drives. (Expect to see more of this drive-kick spin cycle this season.) Adebayo starts this possession in the dunker spot but, as Jovic drives, he backs into the corner. Richards helps off and Jovic kicks to Bam for the open 3.

Why is this different? Because Adebayo in the past wouldn’t have drifted into the corner for a jumper. Instead, he might have clogged the lane asking for a lob or set a down screen for Burks. Now in Miami’s offense, Burks lifts above the break, Adebayo back peddles, and everyone has more space. 

Here’s the next one.

It’s a pick-and-roll between Rozier and Butler. Charlotte switches the ball screen and Rozier fakes the jump pass to Butler before sending it to Adebayo in the corner. Richards, who bit on the fake, is late to close out to Adebayo.

Bam missed the shot, but it’s the exact sort of look the Heat are trying to create this season. Spoelstra used to run these pick-and-rolls with an empty corner, rarely putting Butler and Adebayo on the same side of the court. But with Bam shooting 3s, the Heat are treating him more like P.J. Tucker or Caleb Martin.

More importantly, they aren’t scheming away from Adebayo. They don’t have to negotiate their spacing because of him. The Heat are just running their offense, trusting that Adebayo will make the open ones enough.