Erik Spoelstra's patented zone defense could be the key to more minutes on the floor together for Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware. It worked late in the game against the Houston Rockets and could be exactly the breakthrough that this frontcourt duo needed.
In 16 minutes on the floor together, Bam and Ware finished with a +21 Saturday afternoon against the Rockets.
Bam and Ware may have had a break through over the weekend
As Heat writer Barry Jackson notes, Bam and Ware closed the game on the floor together, something that Spo hadn't resorted to often, if at all, this season. Part of what made it more feasible for the Heat to live with that decision is the fact that Miami's dynamic duo anchored the team's zone defense.
And it was effective!
The Heat closed the game out strong, outscoring the Rockets by nine points over the last seven minutes of the game. Even though Spo noted that it was more of a matchup-based decision than anything, you can't help but wonder if there could be more to it.
Just maybe, this game could be viewed as to somewhat of a breakout for Bam and Ware together.
Erik Spoelstra needs to push the Bam-Ware agenda the rest of the way
Heading into the final 20-ish games of the season, one of the biggest priorities for Spo has to revolve around pushing the Bam and Ware agenda forward. Playoffs or not, looking at the bigger picture, the Heat needs some real answers about whether this frontcourt duo can work or not.
Miami can't afford to head into the offseason still wondering whether Bam-Ware is going to be the frontcourt of the future, even more so considering the potential trade talk that could take place in a few months.
There needs to be as much certainty as possible for the Heat heading into the summer. And, near the top of that, naturally revolves around Bam and Ware.
The duo has had some strong moments this season, but the fact that there's still no firm clarity on whether they can work long-term together is pretty jarring. And without that clarity, it puts the front office at a major disadvantage when it comes to building out the rest of this roster heading into the future.
The hope is that there was a breakthrough for Bam and Ware over the weekend. We won't truly know until we see how Spo continues to manage this team's minutes together.