Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat
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Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat
Back in 2022-23, when the Miami Heat made their magical run to the NBA Finals, center Bam Adebayo was a clear All-Star, a defensive force who also averaged 20.4 points while grabbing 9.2 rebounds and dishing out 3.2 assists. Jimmy Butler was the team’s alpha, but Adebayo was an ideal No. 2 option, and the Heat did not miss a beat even when guard Tyler Herro went out in the first game of the playoffs.
As a scorer, Adebayo’s production has gone down every season since then, however. He scored 19.3 points the following year, down to 18.1 in 2024-25 and this season, he is at 16.4 points per game while shooting a mere 44.6% from the field, well off of his 53.1% career shooting mark.
At times, it seems Adebayo is not sure who he is anymore offensively–he takes 16.7% of his shots within three feet (down from 34.0% in his career) and is trying 34.6% of his shots from 16 feet and beyond, according to Basketball Reference. That’s not a great game plan, as Adebayo is shooting 31.7% on shots from 16 feet to the 3-point line and just 32.0% on 3s.
Bam Adebayo ‘Not Really a Max Player’
Adebayo has not had a 20-point game since December 15, and in the 11 games he has played since then, he is averaging jus t11.4 points on 37.1% shooting, 21.7% 3-point shooting. We’re well past the point of this being a function of Adebayo getting others more involved in the offense–the Heat need him to score. And while the new-fangled, pick-and-roll-less offense might partly explain Adebayo’s struggles, there’s too big and long a trend at play here.
As one NBA scout told the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, there’s a harsh reality facing the Heat: “He’s not really a max player anymore,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “It’s amazing what’s happened with him. The new offensive system hasn’t done him any justice. His offense has regressed. He’s not getting as many assists [2.6 to 4.3 last season]. He’s better in a pick-and-roll-oriented system than what they’re running now.”
Miami Heat Gave Adebayo a $161 Million Contract
Of course, there’s not much that the Heat can do about the Adebayo decline now. The team handed him a max contract extension in the summer of 2024, and that deal kicks in next year, worth $161 million over three years. Few expected it would be a gross overpay when Adebayo signed the deal, but if his offense stays where it is, as the scout said, there’s no way he will live up to that number.
Just this week, former NBA point guard Jeff Teague called out Adebayo for his struggles, suggesting that a trade for Ja Morant and a return to the pick-and-roll could reinvigorate him.
“Bam don’t really be killing. He’s just a good player. He’s not a star. He’s a good complimentary piece. He’s still a quality player, fringe All Star. I think if they get Ja Morant some new blood in there that can run P&Rs with him I think he’ll step up. I just don’t think he’s playing with a pure PG right now,” Teague said on the “Club 520” show.
The heat play Tuesday night against the Suns.