“Bam Adebayo: The Heat’s Indispensable Star Amid Scrutiny”

Bam Adebayo, often considered the cornerstone of the Miami Heat, has faced growing scrutiny from fans this season due to a decline in his offensive production. However, a closer look at the Heat’s recent 109-98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on January 13, 2025, highlights not only Adebayo’s pivotal role but also the challenges the team faces in his absence.

Adebayo’s Absence Exposes Heat’s Offensive Weaknesses

In the game against the Clippers, Adebayo was sidelined with a lower back injury. The Heat’s offense struggled without him, attempting a staggering 52 three-pointers while scoring only 28 points in the paint—a stark drop from their season average of 45.2 points in the paint per game. Which is already second worst in the NBA. This 17-point deficit highlights the Heat’s dependency on Adebayo’s interior scoring, particularly in the absence of Jimmy Butler, who typically alleviates the offensive load.

Miami’s three-point shooting woes compounded the issue, as they converted just 32.7% of their attempts. This perimeter-reliant strategy proved ineffective against a Clippers team anchored by Ivica Zubac, who dominated with 21 points and 20 rebounds, showcasing the glaring void left by Adebayo on both ends of the court.

Offensive Contributions: A Slight Regression or Systemic Issues?

Adebayo’s season averages of 16.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists reflect his all-around game, though they mark a slight decline compared to his previous campaign. His field goal percentage has dipped to 45.6%—a significant drop from his career average of 53.2%. This regression raises questions about shot selection, the Heat’s offensive schemes, or Adebayo’s increased defensive workload.

Notably, Adebayo’s scoring has taken a hit in games where Butler is unavailable and when Herro is off the floor, indicating his struggles when shouldering the primary offensive burden alone. His synergy with Herro in pick-and-roll situations often serves as a cornerstone of the Heat’s offense, but without complementary threats, opposing defenses have found it easier to key in on Adebayo.

Defensive Impact: More Than Just Numbers

Adebayo’s value extends far beyond scoring. A two-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team honoree and 2020 All-Star, he is the anchor of Miami’s defense, capable of guarding all five positions. His absence against the Clippers exposed the Heat’s vulnerability, as Zubac’s paint dominance and the Clippers’ 56.1% shooting on two-point attempts highlighted a lack of rim protection and interior resistance.

Fan Perception and the Road Ahead

While fans may critique Adebayo’s offensive output, it’s essential to view his performance through the lens of his all-encompassing role. Adebayo’s ability to facilitate, defend, and adapt to varying team needs makes him indispensable to the Heat’s success. The loss to the Clippers illustrates Miami’s reliance on his presence.

As the Heat navigate a challenging season, the team must find ways to support Adebayo offensively while addressing roster weaknesses—particularly their lack of depth in the frontcourt. Adding another reliable interior scorer or adjusting offensive schemes to optimize Adebayo’s efficiency could alleviate the pressure and unlock the team’s full potential.

Final Thoughts

Bam Adebayo may not be delivering career-high numbers this season, but his impact on the Miami Heat is undeniable. The loss to the Clippers serves as a stark reminder of his importance, both as a leader and as the team’s defensive and offensive anchor. Moving forward, the Heat’s ability to build around Adebayo and mitigate his absence during injuries will be critical to their success.

The Nuggets went down big multiple times but emerged victorious in Aaron Gordon’s return. They shoot poorly from deep, but got what they wanted at the rim. And Nikola Jokić and Russell Westbrook recorded double-doubles. 

“We could not make a three tonight,” Malone said after the game. “We only made seven, 22%. But we did outscore them 27-8 [in second-chance points], we did outscore them 68-40 in the paint, and as I mentioned pregame, that’s kind of our recipe…”

The Mavericks were without Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić, but that didn’t stop them from putting the Nuggets on their back foot early in Dallas. The visitors started, making two of nine shots, and their defense offered no resistance in transition or the half-court. Coach Michael Malone called the first time out as his squad was down 14-3 after four minutes.

Yet, the Nuggets’ offense stayed in cement as Jokić, Michael Porter Jr. and Gordon were the only ones to log multiple field goals, and the team committed four turnovers because of poor handling and a bad pass. On the other side, the Wild Horses briefly extended their lead to 17 points, ending the quarter up 32-17.

Then Gordon, Westbrook, DeAndre Jordan and Julian Strawther powered an 11-7 run. In the frame, the defense was slow to get to outside shooters, but it was sharp protecting the paint. And when Jokić checked back in, the squad went on a 24-17 burst.

At halftime, the Nuggets were down 61-58. The team had 34 paint points, 11 on the break, 18 via second chances, 11 off turnovers and 20 from the bench. 

The Mavericks had 20 paint points, 10 on the breaks two via second chances, 15 off turnovers and 19 from the bench. 

Subsequently, the Nuggets took their first lead of the game on a putback by Christian Braun a minute into the third quarter. But it lasted about 13 seconds as Derek Lively II and Naji Marshall countered with three close-range buckets. This upset Malone, causing him to call another timeout, but another Dallas avalanche followed. 

The team was down 19 points with five minutes left after Thompson nailed his second trey of the period. But Jamal Murray scored in transition and hit a turnaround jumper over Jaden Hardy. 

The fourth started with the Nuggets down 89-79. Murray and AG took over, adding two mid-range jumpers and two triples, cutting the deficit to two. After Dallas’ timeout, Murray captured Denver’s second lead, hitting a jumper with contact and downing a freebie. And Westbrook took the team’s third and final lead on a fastbreak layup. After that, a 9-3 Denver run was the knockout blow.

The Nuggets won 112-101. They outscored the Mavericks on the break 24-16 and outrebounded them by 18.

Malone said at the postgame presser he gave his defensive player of the game award to Westbrook. 

Takeaways:

• Jokić is still affected by his illness, but he put up a Sombor double of 19 points on six of 13 attempts, with 18 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and four turnovers. He scored on post-ups, one jumper, a putback and on freebies. All of his field goals were logged at five feet and closer.

• Murray was having an off game as his jumper was off target until late in the third quarter. The knee is still bothering him. Malone said he is not 100% healthy and thought about shutting him down at halftime. He added, “This team will not go anywhere if Jamal Murray doesn’t play the way we know he is capable of playing.”

• Gordon didn’t miss a beat in his comeback. He made five jump shots from short-mid to long-range and spun into the lane for a powerful dunk. Malone said after the game Gordon was outstanding while on a minute restriction. He played 18 minutes.

• Westbrook had his second-straight game with at least 20 points (21), plus added 10 rebounds and seven assists. Dallas couldn’t stop him from entering the paint in transition or the half-court.

• Denver’s attack was in the half-court 74.6% of the time. They scored 84.7 points per 100 plays, good enough for the 20th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

The Nuggets dispatched the Nets, and Nikola Jokić, who missed the last two games with an illness, plus Russell Westbrook, logged triple-doubles. 

They started the night back peddling, as the Nets made their initial five attempts, going on a 13-8 run in the first few minutes. But the Nuggets ended the quarter down four points, as seven turnovers hurt them. But Jokić powered through the Nets, dropping hooks and a putback, and Westbrook added five second-chance points.

Then the Nuggets held the visitors to 26.9% shooting in the second quarter. Nic Claxton and Keon Johnson were the only ones to log multiple field goals. On the other side, Peyton Watson made a coast-to-coast layup and two shots off the catch and dribble; Jokić poured in two extra close-range baskets; and Westbrook had a tip-in and a layup from a backdoor cut.

At halftime, the Nuggets were ahead 65-59. They had 40 paint points, nine on the break, nine via second chances, 11 off turnovers and 23 from the bench.

The Nets had 28 paint points, 17 on the break, six via second chances, 14 off turnovers and 10 from the bench. On top of that, they made 13 of 17 free throws. 

Next, Julian Strawther started for Jamal Murray (knee soreness) in the third quarter.  Jokić got things rolling, nailing a trey behind a down screen and cutting in transition for a layup, plus Christian Braun made a 3-pointer, forcing a Nets stoppage two minutes in with the hosts up 12. That did nothing as the crew went on a 14-7 run, compelling another Nets timeout. 

The fourth quarter started with the Nuggets up 94-79. The Nets cut the lead to six with six minutes left, mainly on Tosan Evbuomwan’s two 3-pointers and mid-range pull-up. But the hosts reclaimed control on a spree of Westbrook getting to the line and set-ups for Braun and Jokić. In the period, Jokić made four of five shots, and Westbrook plus Braun tallied 17 points on 71.4% accuracy. 

The Nuggets won 124-105. They had 68 paint points, 23 on the break, 20 via second chances, 21 off turnovers and 29 from the bench.

The Nets had 46 paint points, 27 on the break, nine via second chances, 19 off turnovers and 39 from the bench.

At the postgame presser, coach Michael Malone said Watson was the defensive player of the game. He also said his playmaking stood out. 

When asked about Murray’s second-half absence, Malone said, “It was just acting up… I think Jamal felt, because it was his decision, ‘I just don’t feel right, right now.’ And that’s going to happen with that knee. It’s going to act up once in a while.”

Jokić said he has felt better in the last couple of days, but that he was still impacted in the game. “I felt a little bit more tired.”

Regarding the triple-doubles, Jokić said, “It’s special… how the guys are willing to run the lanes to get to the corner. They know the ball is going to find them.”

Takeaways:

• Murray, who has not played like himself for much of the season, had an uneventful first half, but he was moving well early in the game. He totaled 16 minutes. Malone sounded hopeful Murray could be available for Sunday’s game in Dallas against the Mavericks.

• This was Jokić’s 15th triple-double and Westbrook’s third of the season.

• Westbrook leaping into the air for a tipped pass and hitting Braun with an outlet for a fastbreak dunk was the play of the night. That was one of his four assists in the fourth quarter. 

• Strawther gave a boost off the bench in the first half, scoring on the catch and dribble. Peyton Watson was sharp as well and had an excellent pass from the corner to Joker in the lane. 

• The Nets were held to four of 14 makes outside the lane in the third quarter.

• The Nuggets did a better job of defending without fouling in the second half, allowing the Nets one trip to the line after 17 free-throw attempts in the first.

The Heat got payback at the Delta Center for the massacre suffered on Jan. 4. Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. lit up the perimeter with seven of 14 3-pointers.  And it was a low-scoring affair that featured 12 ties and 10 lead changes.

This was Jimmy Butler’s fourth game suspended of seven for conduct detrimental to the team.

“When I drive in the paint, and I draw two, it makes it really easy to spray out to shooters,” Jaquez said in the locker room after the game. 

The offense started in the mud, making six of 22 shots. Nikola Jović was the lone Heatle to log multiple field goals in the first quarter on a trey and putback. But more problematically, they had allowed Lauri Markkanen to make two 3-pointers and score on a rim roll, plus let Collin Sexton rattle off four of five shots. 

The second quarter started with the Heat down 27-20. Subsequently, the defense shut down the Jazz to 14 points on 20% shooting. On top of that, Herro made two layups and a 3-pointer. 

At halftime, the Heat led 46-41. They had 12 paint points, nine on the break, four via second chances and nine off turnovers. 

The Jazz had 16 paint points, seven on the break, five via second chances and 12 off turnovers. 

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Then the Heat started the third quarter on a 10-4 run, forcing a Jazz timeout. When play continued, Markkanen responded with three treys, and Sexton plus Isaiah Collier dribbled into the lane for layups. And the Heat’s offense stalled, making five of 20 shots for the remaining eight minutes of the frame.

The fourth quarter started with the Heat down 70-68. Despite shooting 33.3% from deep in the period, they took control because they were the first to loose balls and held the Jazz to one of eight 3-pointers. Furthermore, Herro plus Terry Rozier made five baskets from long and close range, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored six points.

The Heat won 97-92. They had 34 paint points, 17 on the break, 16 via second chances and 15 off turnovers.

The Jazz had 42 paint points, seven on the break, 11 via second chances and 18 off turnovers. 

After the game, coach Erik Spoelstra said it was “ugly, not a shootout.” He also said Adebayo made big plays down the stretch.

The Heat will not practice on Friday.

Observations:

• In spite of an inaccurate night for Jović, he still was impactful as a distributor, racking up five assists and one turnover. 

• Jaime Jaquez Jr. had his best game of the season. He was a threat on the break and made three of four 3-pointers, including the dagger to put the Heat ahead by five with a minute left. Additionally, he had seven dimes, his second-highest assist total of the season. After the game, Spoelstra said JJJ was good defensively against the Jazz and his performances have contributed to wins. He also had 20 points on seven of 11 shots with seven rebounds, two steals and three turnovers.

• Kel’el Ware gave good minutes off the bench. He made four of five shots via rim rolls and a putback in transition. He also denied Markkanen as the drop defender in pick and roll and as a helping low man. 

• When the game was tied at 86 with three minutes left, Adebayo made a mid-range jumper and an eight-foot floater to take the lead.

• The Heat’s offense operated in the half-court 78.2% of the time. They scored 91.9 points per 100 plays, good enough for the 34th percentile of the stat, per Cleaning the Glass.

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The MVP-less Nuggets hung around until crunch time, but their offensive drought and Boston’s long-range shooting overwhelmed them. The game featured eight ties and 10 lead changes. 

Nikola Jokić (illness) and Aaron Gordon (calf strain) were absent for the Nuggets. Derrick White (illness) didn’t play for the Celtics. 

“We didn’t score…the margin of error against that team without your starting four (Aaron Gordon) and starting five (Jokić) is nonexistent,” coach Michael Malone said after the game.

Early, Jamal Murray, Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr.’s jumpers were on target. But Kristaps Porziņģis and Jayson Tatum outscored the hosts by themselves on baskets from short, mid and long range. The Celtics led 37-25 at the end of the first quarter. 

Then the Nuggets were down 15 a nearly two minutes later. Malone called a stoppage, and when play resumed, the hosts took control. The defense allowed Boston five of 16 baskets the rest of the period. Murray had a flurry of eight consecutive points on pull-up jumpers and drive-by to the cup. Westbrook added a putback and fastbreak layup, too. 

The game was tied at 57 at halftime. The Nuggets had 18 paint points, seven on the break, five via second chances, four off turnovers and 21 from the bench. Notably, the Nuggets took two more attempts from deep than Boston, the no. 1 team in 3-point volume and were shooting 18.7% higher.

The Celtics had 30 paint points, nine on the break, 10 via second chances, 16 off turnovers and 16 from the bench. 

Next, Jaylen Brown was unguardable on the dribble in the third quarter, so the Nuggets resorted to a zone defense. He made all four attempts within five feet of the cup. And Tatum eluded defenders with his handle and got loose on the break, making three shots in the restricted area and canned a trey. 

Westbrook and Christian Braun countered with three of five triples, but the rest of the squad made none in the third quarter. Porter got two scores in the lane and Julian Strawther added four points.

The fourth quarter started with the Nuggets down 88-83. Four of six baskets from Murray, Braun and Strawther tied the game. Yet, Boston responded by preventing the Nuggets from scoring on their next eight shots in three minutes. Additionally, Porziņģis logged a putback dunk, Jrue Holiday and Al Hordord dropped treys, Brown made a layup and Tatum nailed the pull-up jumper from 11-feet away over Peyton Watson to put the game out of reach.

The Nuggets lost 118-106. The Celtics outscored the Nuggets in three key areas: paint points 60-46, second chance points 22-11 and fastbreak points 17-11.

“We just beat ourselves too often tonight, and against the defending champs, it’s hard to overcome that,” Malone said. 

When asked where the game slipped away, Murray said it was the rebounding. 

Takeaways:

• Murray only made 20% of his 3-point attempts, but he was able to get to his spots inside the lane and at mid-range. Although the team needed a second-half encore he didn’t deliver on after 15 points before intermission. He had 19 points on eight of 17 attempts, with four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a turnover. 

• Westbrook’s attention to detail was too low, as he had eight turnovers. The last two pulled the team’s life support plug as the score was getting away from them, and they badly needed threes to fall. Still, he was their most productive offensive player, finishing with 26 points on 50% shooting, with nine rebounds, six assists, one steal and a block.

• The center rotation gave them nothing on offense. Šarić played only 16 minutes and was scoreless. DeAndre Jordan scored one point. And Zeke Nnaji was scoreless in nearly five minutes, too.

• The Nuggets were terrible in transition, scoring at a rate of 91.7 points per 100 plays, good enough for the 17 percentile of the stat in all games this season, per Cleaning the Glass.