As excited as the Miami Heat fan base may be heading into the new season and the start of the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, there's one big worry that should be at the forefront of their zeal. But it's not a concern that many would predict first.
On the surface, many would point to Giannis' health as a major question heading into the start of the season for the Heat. However, while that's a fair root of unease for many Heat fans, the uncertain fit next to Bam Adebayo should be considered the Heat's biggest worry.
Even though Giannis missed a career high 46 games last season, that's not been the norm for Giannis over the course of his career. He's, for the most part, been quite durable. It's difficult to imagine why that would suddenly change.
Over the course of his 13-year career, Giannis has only missed more than 20 games in the regular season once. Before this past season, Giannis was averaging just 10 missed games per season. Especially in the load management era of the NBA, that's not an issue at all. That's why I don't believe his durability is that big of a question mark.
His potential fit next to Bam, that should be the real area of concern for Heat fans this season. There's no guarantee that will work.
What will the Giannis fit look like for the Heat?
It can't be overstated how much is at stake for the Heat heading into this year. And, honestly, it's not even just about this one season. Considering how much the Heat gave up to acquire Giannis, this move can't be a flop.
The Heat traded for Giannis not just to return to relevance for one season; this was a move that Miami is hoping will set them up for the next half-decade, at least.
But if the fit with Bam isn't great, and Erik Spoelstra can't find a way to make it work, it certainly throws a huge wrench in all those plans (and hopes). It will absolutely change the way the Giannis trade is looked in retrospect.
Giannis and Bam do have a similar enough game that there are natural questions about what they're going to look like together on the floor. And, historically, neither Bam nor Giannis has proven to be a good enough 3-point shooter to calm those nerves before we see them on the floor together.
That means Spoelstra will almost certainly going to have to find creative ways to make the fit work within the scheme.
To a certain extent, you trust Spoelstra enough to figure it out, but there are some philosophical questions that are fair to ask about whether Bam and Giannis' fit will be seamless. And considering how much it will dictate this season as a success or failure for the Heat, it's only natural for fans to be understandably concerned about this fit.
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