Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo has been on a tear recently, and other players around the NBA have noticed, including Kristaps Porzingis.
“I don’t remember when he played like this,” Porzingis said after Adebayo lit up the Washington Wizards for 38 points last Friday.
The Latvian big man’s comment came on the heels of Adebayo’s monster performance against the Wizards. That contest saw the 25-year-old put up his season-high in points, leading Miami to a 110-107 win.
He showed aggressiveness on offense all night long, especially when rolling inside and driving to the paint. Adebayo finished the evening 15-for-22 from the field.
His performance was quite different from a previous game against the Wizards that took place just two days prior. In that contest, Adebayo scored just 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting. Fortunately, the Heat also won that matchup.
After Adebayo’s 38-point clinic against the Wizards, he kept up his torrid shooting in the following game. Sunday’s game, which the Heat won 106-98, saw Adebayo show his assertiveness with the ball once again, as he put up 32 points on 20 shots against the Atlanta Hawks.
This is the kind of Adebayo Miami needs in order to bounce back in the 2022-23 campaign. The Heat have had a mediocre start to the season, winning just 10 of their 21 games to fall outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
If it weren’t for Miami’s current three-game win streak, the franchise would be in an even deeper hole.
There are a lot of reasons for the Heat’s struggles, with the injury bug undoubtedly topping the list. However, Adebayo’s strong season is certainly not among them. Through the 19 games he has suited up in, he has averaged 20.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per match. His 15 field-goal attempts per game marks a career high.
Aside from his offensive production, the University of Kentucky product has been Miami’s defensive anchor. He has helped the squad register a defensive rating of 110.6 this season, good for seventh in the league.
Adebayo has had to assume plenty of responsibilities for the Heat, which Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke at length about earlier this month. Hopefully, he can maintain his production and give the team a boost.
Miami will need it for its next game, as it will face the East-leading Boston Celtics.
