Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo revealed that he’s going to continue taking 3-point shots, as it opens up more space for the Heat on offense.
“It’s time for the tides to shift,” said Adebayo. “This is one of my, I guess, glaring deficiencies that everybody just wants me to do. But for me, I practice it all the time.
“Also, it just adds to our team. That means the big has to guard me and obviously more points on the board, more three-point attempts go up. Then when you have space for guys like Jimmy [Butler] and Jaime [Jaquez Jr.] to work, obviously they’ll get their touches in the paint and spray-out threes.”
This season, Adebayo has attempted 30 total shots from beyond the arc, making 10 of them (33.3 percent). He’s only attempted 92 total shots from 3 in his NBA career, going 1-for-12 in the 2022-23 season and shooting a career percentage of 19.6 from deep.
It’s clear that Adebayo has been working on his long-range shot, as this is the first season that he’s made more than three of his attempts from 3. With the Heat featuring players like Butler, Jaquez and Terry Rozier who can all get baskets at the rim, taking Adebayo out of the paint at times could unlock Miami’s offense.
The Heat have struggled scoring the ball in the 2023-24 campaign, averaging just 109.9 points per game, which ranks 27th in the league. Adebayo, who is averaging 19.8 points per game this season, is one of the team’s most reliable scorers, but a lot of his points come in the painted area.
Adebayo has scored 828 points in the paint this season (which ranks 11th in the NBA). There’s nothing wrong with the former lottery pick scoring down low, but having Adebayo step outside adds some variety to his game and can take rim protectors for other teams away from the basket.
Since March 13, Adebayo has attempted at least one shot from 3-point range in every game he’s played in, shooting 56.3 percent from beyond the arc over that nine-game stretch. The Heat are 5-4 in those games.
It’ll be interesting to see if Adebayo continues to shoot the 3 against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. New York features Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson (listed as questionable) and Precious Achiuwa down low, and all three players are averaging over a block per game this season.
If Adebayo can get them away from the rim with his shooting, the Heat should have some easier baskets at the bucket on Tuesday night.
