The Miami Heat had a disappointing end to their season as they were swept in their first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks.
On Thursday, Heat president Pat Riley had his end of season interview with the media about a range of topics.
One of those topics was the role Heat center Bam Adebayo currently has within the Heat’s offense. Riley mentioned that he would like to see Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra to use Adebayo differently on offense.
Pat Riley on Bam, “I think Spo has to evaluate a bit how he uses Bam.” Mentions the balance of facilitating the offense and being a primary scorer.
— Will Manso (@WillManso) June 3, 2021
Although Adebayo took a leap in his scoring abilities this season, it seemed that he was not necessarily a primary or secondary option at times as one his main role was to facilitate on offense.
The 23-year-old averaged 18.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game this past season, and showed on multiple occasions that he is fully capable of being an elite offensive player.
Adebayo’s best offensive performance undoubtedly came against the Brooklyn Nets in January as he scored 41 points and dished out nine assists. In that game he went 14-of-20 from the field and made 12 of his 14 free throws, showing a willingness to attack relentlessly on offense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JGbIv6SX30&t=74s
With Riley now urging Spoelstra to change the way he utilizes Adebayo on offense, it will definitely be interesting to see what the Heat’s head coach comes up with for this upcoming season.
