Leading up to the start of the 2024-25 regular season, Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo seemed primed for a career year on the offensive side of the ball.
He showed an increased willingness to shoot the ball from 3-point range during his time playing for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and head coach Erik Spoelstra said earlier in the month of October that he will shoot up to seven 3s in some games in his eighth season in the league.
However, through four games, Adebayo has had a limited offensive role for the Heat. He is averaging just 11.0 points and 2.0 3-point attempts per contest. In addition, he finished with 11 points on seven shots from the field in Miami’s loss to the New York Knicks on Oct. 30.
After Miami’s second loss of the season, Spoelstra emphasized that Adebayo needs to have a larger role for the Heat on the offensive end.
Adebayo hasn’t scored more than 12 points in a single game so far this season after he was one of Miami’s most reliable scorers last year. Across 71 games played in the 2023-24 regular season, he averaged 19.3 points per game, the second-most of his pro career. Only Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler averaged more points per contest for the Heat a season ago.
However, Adebayo isn’t the only star player for the Heat who has gotten off to a rough start to the campaign from a scoring standpoint. Butler is averaging 16.8 points per game while shooting just 12.5 percent from deep in his sixth season in Miami, and he totaled just 15 points against the Knicks.
Perhaps Adebayo will find his footing on offense in Miami’s upcoming matchup against a lowly Washington Wizards team on Saturday night. The Wizards have won their last two games, but they also aren’t exactly loaded with great defensive players.
If Adebayo and the Heat can pick up their third win of the season on Saturday, the team will be above the .500 mark on the season once again at 3-2.