Bam Adebyo has been one of the Miami Heat's most disappointing offensive players this season. If he can't break out of this early-season slump soon, it's only going to raise more questions about his standing as the Heat's franchise player. Perhaps most importantly, it could create a nightmare that the franchise couldn't have envisioned before the start of this season.
The Heat are 2-1 through their first three games of the season, and their new-look offense is humming, but Bam's struggles have to be at least somewhat concerning. Especially considering that the hope was that Bam would take his offensive game to another level during Tyler Herro's absence.
Bam hasn't been able to do that. Luckily, the Heat hasn't suffered much because of the excellent play of some of their other players, but there's no question that so much more was expected from Bam.
And he hasn't answered. Yet.
Bam Adeabyo's struggles are not new
Perhaps what is even more concerning for Bam is the fact that these offensive struggles aren't new. There were signs of this "regression" last season, and he was quietly putrid on the offensive end of the floor during the preseason.
Last season, Bam had an up-and-down offensive year. It wasn't until late January that he truly turned things around.
The hope was that he would be able to build off that this season, but that simply hasn't been the case. In the preseason, Bam shot just 37 percent from the field. He's carried that slump right into the regular season.
Through three games, Bam is averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds. Solid stats. However, when you factor in that he's shooting just 36 percent from the field overall, and you begin to understand some of the frustration.
Bam is averaging a career-high six free-throw attempts per game, which has somewhat saved his offensive production. However, if the shooting percentages don't improve soon, the whispers surrounding his struggles are only going to grow louder.
In many ways, the Heat's supporting cast has been a saving grace for the team. Who knows where this team would be right now without the offensive contributions from Norman Powell, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Simone Fontecchio?
Because, at least right now, Bam has been one of the Heat's most inefficient offensive players. Heading into this season, I'm not sure many would've predicted that. And if he doesn't turn things around quickly, this slow start from Bam is going to quickly turn into a huge nightmare for the franchise.