A couple of years have passed since Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat ended a season with one of the best records in the NBA.
With recent seasons having seen the Heat finish in play-in territory, Adebayo had a clear message on how the team can evade it and automatically qualify for the playoffs this time around.
Bam Adebayo's stance on Heat getting out of play-in
Adebayo is halfway through the ninth season of his career with the Heat. He has cemented himself as one of the best two-way centers in the league, showing impressive inside defense while providing quality production with his offensive skillset.
Adebayo has experienced seven playoff runs throughout his career, including an active streak of six postseasons. The 2021-22 campaign was the last season where Miami secured the first seed in the Eastern Conference with 53 wins, falling in seven games to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.
Since then, the last three campaigns have seen the franchise finish the regular season in the play-in tournament. They secured the eighth seed in all three attempts, only getting out of the first round once in 2023. That also featured their historic run to the NBA Finals, the second time an 8-seed reached the championship round since the 1999 New York Knicks.
Adebayo provided his thoughts on the Heat constantly being in play-in territory after the team's win over the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 29. He understands that the team has the talent to do better than their current standing, delivering a clear message on how Miami can get out of the play-in zone.
“We know what we’re capable of defensively, it’s just a matter of we gotta keep doing it on a night to night basis and once we figure that out and we commit to that — we won’t be in the 7/8th spot,” Adebayo said.
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Adebayo continues to impress with his two-way talents in Year 9 as the Heat's top player. He is averaging 18 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and one steal per game throughout 41 appearances. He is shooting 44.5% from the field, including 35.6% from beyond the arc, and 79.8% from the free-throw line.
Miami has a 26-23 record on the season, sitting at eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls by 2.5 games while sharing a tie with the Orlando Magic for seventh place. However, they trail the Philadelphia 76ers by one game and the Cleveland Cavaliers by 2.5 games.
The Heat will gear up for their upcoming matchups at home. They host the Bulls for a back-to-back on Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. ET and Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. ET.
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