It's time for the Miami Heat to give Bam Adebayo some defined clarity on his role this season. By examining how the Dallas Mavericks have utilized Anthony Davis at the power forward position, the Heat may finally have a clear way to address the Bam position issue.
Sure, Bam can play both the power forward and center position, but it would make much sense for the Heat to try to find a defined role for him moving forward. It will make life a whole lot easier for both Bam and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
Bam would be able to focus on a more specific game plan, and Spo would be able to cement his rotation better. Could Bam still float around occasionally? Absolutely. However, if the Heat know they're going to approach the year with Bam at the 4, it will only make everything else that much clearer.
And for a team that has plenty of uncertainty surrounding them this season, Bam shouldn't be part of that.
Kel'el Ware is the key to finding a defined role for Bam Adebayo
If the Heat truly believes that Kel'el Ware is a foundational piece of the future and that he's only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential, they should 100 percent follow the script that the Mavs have blueprinted with AD and Dereck Lively II.
Bam may not be as dominant as AD on the offensive end of the floor, but there are very clear similarities in their game. Where AD is better offensively, there's a strong argument to be made that Bam inches past him defensively.
The hope for the Heat, of course, falls on the idea that Ware's ceiling could be much higher than Lively's.
I'm not sure if I'd agree with the Heat's assessment after his rookie season, but they clearly are sky high on Ware's potential. And if that is indeed the case, there should be no hesitation when it comes to starting Bam and Ware alongside each other.
Because if the Heat are right on Ware, and that he will evolve into the game-changing, two-way center that they believe he can be, Bam's best fit is going to be at the power forward position. And together, Bam and Ware could help create one of the most prolific frontcourt duos in the Eastern Conference.
It's clear that this should be the goal for this season. Whether that ends up playing out remains to be seen, but the Heat can help a lot of their future questions with this one tweak to their lineup. And, in the process, it will also put Bam in a better position to succeed.