The 2025-26 season was challenging for Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo. The All-Defense mainstay continued to be one of the best players at his position, but with Tyler Herro sidelined for more than half the season, Adebayo took on an offensive role that never truly seemed to suit him.
Thankfully, with a true No. 1 scoring option in Giannis Antetokounmpo finally arriving in Miami, Adebayo should be able to play a role that can help him return to his ideal level of efficiency.
Adebayo, 29, has made it abundantly clear that he can put points on the board at a high level. Not only did he score a mesmerizing 83 points in a single game in 2025-26, but he's averaged 19.3 points on 51.4 percent shooting from the field over the past six seasons.
Though Adebayo's volume increased to 20.1 points per game in 2025-26, his efficiency plummeted as he shot a career-worse 44.2 percent from the field.
It's a direct result of Adebayo averaging 5.5 three-point field goals made per game. That's nearly double his previous career high of 2.8, which he set in 2024-25. Not only did he shoot a high volume of threes, but he attempted just 10.2 twos—his lowest mark since 2018-19.
Though playing next to Antetokounmpo will likely require Adebayo to shoot a high volume of threes, the manner in which his role is defined should help the big man finally get back to efficient scoring.
Bam Adebayo should rediscover efficiency next to Giannis
The Heat played Adebayo in a fairly understandable role relative to what the team needed from him. Jimmy Butler was well out of the picture, Tyler Herro missed 49 games, and leading scorer Norman Powell was absent from 24. Even still, Adebayo typically operated in a catch-and-shoot capacity.
Adebayo posted new career highs in field goal attempts per game and field goal attempts per 36 minutes, however, as Miami effectively attempted to turn him into a high-volume scorer.
The result was Adebayo shooting 2.0 more shots per 36 minutes than his previous career high, only to average a mere 1.1 more points. It became crystal clear that he should be able to scale his volume back and pick his spots rather than forcing the issue.
Thankfully, rather than being a part of a committee of scorers in a similar range of solid but not spectacular volume, Adebayo will be playing alongside a dominant scorer in 2026-27.
Bam Adebayo is at his best when he can pick his spots as a scorer
Antetokounmpo averaged at least 30.4 points per game in every season between 2022-23 and 2024-25. He then averaged 27.6 points in 28.9 minutes per contest in 2025-26, which translates to 34.4 points per 36 minutes.
With a truly dominant downhill scorer leading the charge, Adebayo's shot diet should consist of healthier looks at the basket that are less about breaking cold spells and more about taking advantage of clean shots.
For those concerned about how Antetokounmpo's interior-based scoring might hurt Adebayo's own production or efficiency, it's worth noting that he's been in a similar position before. Jimmy Butler primarily thrived as a slashing scorer who buried midrange jumpers and shots in the paint, which should prepare him to some degree for the manner in which Antetokounmpo will change the offense.
With Adebayo no longer tasked with being a part of committee of shared No. 1 scoring options, the Heat can finally position him to play a role that fits his game again.
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