Tag Archive for: Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat: Regaining Confidence and Regaining Clarity

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Although Miami won a game that they were expected to win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, it holds more value than you may think.

For starters, the confidence factor. This is across the board for everybody, but that starts with Jimmy Butler. He got some easy buckets at the start of the game, which was needed since him setting the tone was essential.

Also, the recent lack of 2 point shot attempts for Miami this season falls on Jimmy, since he is their primary attacker.

Duncan Robinson hitting 4 threes in the first half, after going 0-5 in the first half against Dallas is also very important. As I mentioned before the game, this match-up with OKC was a rhythm game. Getting Duncan back into his normal shooting rhythm holds value heading into Wednesday’s game against Boston.

So regaining that confidence was important for this team right now, but it wasn’t as important as regaining clarity.

Sixth different starting lineup in six games definitely doesn’t scream clarity, but maybe the slogan should be sixth time’s a charm.

Miami now has a clear 9 man rotation that they can go to on a regular basis, since this issue all along has been the 5th starter. I’ve been discussing keeping the main four guys off the bench together, since there is obvious continuity between them. The Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa offensive importance, and the Avery Bradley and Andre Iguodala defensive importance.

The fifth starter needed to be a guy that fits next to Bam Adebayo, can space the floor, and keep Miami in a good flow. And well, Kelly Olynyk did just that.

This does not mean Erik Spoelstra won’t change some things up with the starters or rotation going forward, but as of right now, he has his core group.

Miami needed both confidence and clarity these past few games, and it looks like they already have both after the sixth regular season game. And I believe that has a lot to do with the return of Jimmy Butler.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Tough Loss to Mavericks

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The Miami Heat had an offensive night like no other, losing to the Dallas Mavericks. Shots weren’t falling, rhythm wasn’t forming, and nothing could go right. Although there only seems to be one overall takeaway from this game, here are five…

#1: Miami Heat or Miami Cold?

Well, it’s obvious that this would be the first takeaway from this game, since the Miami Heat did not hit one three in the first half. It seems as if the troubles change every game. It went from turnover issues to offensive issues, which I will say I definitely did not expect. Goran Dragic has been a guy that has helped Miami when they begin to struggle offensively, and not even he could save them in that first half. It’s not everyday you see Duncan Robinson shoot 5 threes in a half and not make a single one. Ball movement is probably one of the main points you can look to, since they had 4 assists in the first half. So, it was clearly the Miami Cold in the first half, or better yet the entire game.

#2: Tyler Herro comes out under control offensively, back into his role.

As discussed previously, Miami could not get any shots to fall early in the game, except for Tyler Herro. He continues to look like the Tyler Herro that we all know. One who is confident in his game and looks to score first when he has the ball in his hands. He looked good off of the pick and roll, specifically when Precious Achiuwa was setting the pick. He knows he can utilize the pull-up mid-range, but he also threw a nice lob to Precious under the goal, which may have been Miami’s first offensive spark. A second year Tyler Herro, who struggled in his first game or two, being the rock of their offense in a game like this is a very positive sign.

#3: Although the struggles were clear, Bam Adebayo gave it his all from the jump.

Now, there’s obviously not much to point to statistically in that first half performance, but Bam Adebayo definitely stood out when watching. He was playing with a level of energy that was needed in this type of game. That mostly was visible in his ability to run the floor once he grabbed the ball off the rim. He also knocked down some mid-range jumpers, and it seems as if every one of these takeaway pieces includes an improved jumper from the past game. Bam being the source of energy and offense in a game where Jimmy Butler returned is interesting, but it’s also promising for their young centerpiece.

#4: Precious Achiuwa looks good once again, while it seems as if the KZ Okpala unleashing is ways away.

Precious Achiuwa and KZ Okpala seem to get linked together quite a lot, since they were two of Miami’s most intriguing young projects heading into the season. And well, not many would’ve expected the rookie to get the edge. Precious played very well tonight once again, since as I’ve mentioned, he knows how to play to his own role without straying off. He set good screens, played good defense, active around the boards, and lurked around the rim for lobs. And in a game where Miami trailed for most of it, and were looking for some type of spark, KZ Okpala was never inserted. He may still need some time to grow and put his entire package together, and the key word there is “time.” If he isn’t getting any run in a game like this, it doesn’t seem like he will have a set role in the rotation any time soon.

#5: Jimmy Butler doesn’t appear to look like himself.

Jimmy Butler returned to play tonight after missing the past two games, but he clearly wasn’t himself. He didn’t have it going offensively, and more importantly he didn’t seem to have that same energy that we’re used to seeing with Jimmy. Now, you can categorize it as a bit of rust after taking some time off with the ankle, but I would expect more initiative from the team’s leader when the team struggles this way. When speaking about him offensively, he just had no rhythm at all and did not seem to get off of his feet much, but I guess the entire team didn’t have any offensive rhythm as well. Either way, it was a poor performance from Miami in this game, and the team’s best player and leader will always get looked at first, especially since he was 0-6 from the field. And I’m sure he will take accountability, but he just needs to be Jimmy for this team to strive.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory over Bucks

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The Miami Heat came out in the second night of a back to back against Milwaukee with a purpose. The Heat went from being offensively dominated in yesterday’s game, to utilizing their defensive grittiness with their unique lineups. A couple players shined with Jimmy Butler out, but here are five takeaways from this game….

#1: Turnovers strike early once again, but intensity balances it out.

One of the biggest issues early in yesterday’s game against Milwaukee was turnovers. The same thing happened tonight, except the intensity Miami brought on the defensive end kept them in it. The Bucks had trouble capitalizing on those turnovers since Miami made them play in a half court offense since they love to run. Miami’s defensive starting trio, Bam Adebayo, Avery Bradley, and Andre Iguodala, made this into a gritty defensive game, which plays into Miami’s favor. The turnover issue obviously means some are being careless with the ball, but it seems inevitable on a position-less team. Tyler Herro is still trying to get adjusted to that position, while Bam Adebayo had to take a leap in his offensive load. It was bound to happen, but it needs to be cleaned up quick.

#2: Bam Adebayo begins to play like Bam Adebayo.

After some interesting comments that began to loom about Bam Adebayo on the first night of the back to back, Bam came out with a purpose. For one, he attempted 7 shots in yesterday’s game, but attempted 9 shots in the first half tonight. And that’s all people can ask for. More importantly, he played to his role much better than the night prior, bringing much more intensity on both ends. Although we can discuss the capabilities Bam has in his arsenal, right now he has a certain role that he plays to, and the team needs him to play to. They are very capable of winning basketball games in that fashion, but Jimmy Butler being out makes that a bit harder. But increased shot attempts and offensive aggression is all you can ask for at the moment.

#3: Andre Iguodala and Avery Bradley starting insertions cause defensive disruption.

It was expected that the starting lineup would change after Milwaukee got off to a 12-0 run in last night’s game. They decided to insert Avery Bradley and Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup, and it was very effective. I’ve mentioned quite a few times in the past that Avery and Andre seem to play very well on the floor together on the defensive end, since both are high IQ defenders who are huge disruptions with their hands. And after an NBA record shooting the basketball from the Milwaukee Bucks, it was clear defense would be a priority. It’s also a huge positive going forward, since most effective lineups for Miami have to include either Jimmy Butler or Goran Dragic. But finding a lineup that can make some noise, while Goran and Jimmy can rest, will end up being very useful for Miami.

#4: Goran Dragic picks up the offensive load once again.

I expected that Goran Dragic would need to pick up the slack from Jimmy Butler on the offensive end, since losing a veteran that attacks the basket is pretty huge. And after getting some time off in yesterday’s blowout, it was obvious he’d be out on the court for quite some time. It’s continually mentioned that Goran always finds a way to get Miami out of their tough spots, and he battled to do it once again. As discussed prior, turnovers were an issue early in this game, so having Goran take control of the offense was essential. Same thing occurred in the beginning of the second half, since Dragic checked in and got right to work. Some big time triples early in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference maker as well. Not many expected Goran to have this much of a load this early in the season, but it seems necessary for this team at the moment.

#5: Tyler Herro shines with an impressive overall stat-line.

There’s one overall takeaway from Tyler Herro’s performance in tonight’s game: He played like Tyler Herro. At times in the first few games, he seemed uncomfortable with his new role, since it obviously takes time to get acclimated. But is it about getting acclimated or playing to his strengths? In my opinion, he just needs to do what he does best which is score the basketball in a confident manner. You can just tell when he begins to get into a rhythm offensively, and that is when his play-making abilities begin to shine. There’s a reason he seems to be a better play-maker on the break than in the half-court. And that’s because his passes are instinctive on the break. Everybody is aware that Tyler is a completely different player when playing with confidence, so his indecisiveness will need to fade away for him to thrive.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Blowout Loss to Milwaukee

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It was clearly a tough night for the Miami Heat, in a blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on the first night of a back to back. The Milwaukee Bucks were scorching on the offensive side of the ball all night, but Miami obviously have some things that need to be touched up as well. Either way, here are five takeaways…

#1: Early turnovers occur for Miami, which is problematic against Milwaukee especially.

It’s no secret that Miami played pretty poorly early in this game against Milwaukee, and one thing the Bucks do is take advantage of your mistakes. Well, that’s exactly what they did, getting out to a 12-0 lead to begin the game. Milwaukee loves to run the floor, and when turnovers begin to occur carelessly, that is what they will automatically begin to do. Now, not having Jimmy Butler plays a huge role in turnover issues, due to losing a primary play-maker, but there’s still no excuse for sloppy basketball. Luckily, Miami gets to hit the floor against the same team, in the same building, tomorrow night, and it’s clear that Erik Spoelstra will be ready to make adjustments.

#2: Tyler Herro gets into an offensive rhythm, which may be only positive from this game.

If there was anything good to takeaway from this game, it was that Tyler Herro finally looked like Tyler Herro. He seemed to lack a bit of confidence in his overall offensive game in the first two regular season games, which is unusual for Tyler. One thing I’ve mentioned is that it’ll take some time for him to get acclimated to his role in the starting lineup, and it still may take a little bit longer. But getting his shooting and scoring going was a huge step. It seemed that he was unsure if he wanted to pass or shoot at times to begin the season, but he just needs to play to his natural talent which is scoring the basketball. All he needed was one performance like this to get him rolling, which is why this is the positive takeaway from this game.

#3: Bam Adebayo lacks initiative on offense, mostly with reluctant jumper.

It’s very different discussing Bam Adebayo after a game in a type of negative connotation, but he just plainly was not himself. In a game that Jimmy Butler wasn’t playing, it was going to be essential that he took initiative on offense to not just direct traffic with his passing, but also scoring the ball. He had plenty of open mid-range jumpers early in the game, but he just refused to even look toward the basket at times. It feels as if people have been saying this for quite some time now, but it just comes down to confidence with his jumper. I expected him to attack the basket early in the game, but that did not occur either. But as I mentioned previously, Miami will face off against Milwaukee in a little less than 24 hours, and I’m sure we will see a much more aggressive Bam tomorrow.

#4: Avery Bradley looks impressive on both ends once again.

Although there aren’t many positives from this blowout loss to Milwaukee, I can’t let Avery Bradley’s individual performance go unnoticed. He played for the first time with the Miami Heat on Christmas Day, and was a big reason for their win over the Pelicans after shutting down JJ Redick. But once again, Avery showed flashes throughout that he can make some noise with one-on-one defense by beating over screens and things of that nature. He also didn’t look too bad offensively, showing that he has the ability to knock down the three, as well as get to the mid-range area and utilize his floater. It’s hard to discuss him shining on both ends in a game where they’re trailing by 30 for most of the night, but just know Avery will win Miami some games throughout this season.

#5: The importance of Jimmy Butler shines tonight.

One broad takeaway from this game against Milwaukee was that the impact of Jimmy Butler is greater than you may have thought. Everybody knows what Jimmy does for this team, but just his presence on the floor is impact alone. As I mentioned before, losing his play-making tonight plays a huge role in this game. One example is Duncan Robinson, since it’s clear that Jimmy’s ability to attack the basket allows Duncan to get some room on the perimeter. The same goes for everybody on the floor though, since the entire team is just much more comfortable when Jimmy is on the floor. But as the players have said in their press conferences, it is next man up. It just comes down to that next man playing Miami Heat basketball.

5 Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Season Opener

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The Miami Heat kicked off their season against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night, and it was pretty much filled with surprises. The main surprise was that Miami didn’t play like the team that was just in the NBA finals, losing 113-107, but that doesn’t mean there should be immediate overreaction. Anyway, here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Offensive sloppiness looks to be problematic.

It’s no surprise that turnovers are the first takeaway from this game, especially from Miami’s starters. They had 12 turnovers at the half, with the starting unit being in a rush offensively in the first quarter. That may have something to do with Tyler Herro running the point, since he’s not a traditional one, but that will improve as the season progresses. Goran Dragic though, which will be explained in a bit, settled Miami down and took control of the offense. Tyler isn’t the only one to blame, since Jimmy and Bam showed some sloppiness as well. But this should be expected in a season opener, and if they continue to slow down the offense early in games, it will be very beneficial to their play.

#2: Precious Achiuwa gets surprising minutes off the bench.

Even though I mentioned that I wouldn’t be shocked if Coach Spo threw Precious Achiuwa in the game off of the bench tonight, I definitely didn’t expect to have him being one of my takeaways from a season opener. But well, he is. There were a couple things that have been mentioned when discussing Precious Achiuwa. For one, he can be utilized on this team to reiterate many of the things Bam does on the floor, which he showed he can do. And secondly, it’s been said over and over that he has great touch around the rim, and that was clear as well. The lob connection he has found with Goran Dragic has been obvious, but even an impressive drive at the end of the shot clock showcased some more of his flashes. Coach Spo inserting him in the game to begin the season, after the absence of Summer League, should tell you all you need to know about the future of Precious Achiuwa with this team.

#3: Goran Dragic continues to be Miami’s steady piece.

It would be wrong not to mention Goran Dragic after this game, mostly since he was the main reason Miami was able to settle down early. After the starters continued to struggle offensively, as I mentioned previously, Goran came right into the game and picked up exactly where he left off. And that means he still was able to deliver when Miami was in a tough spot. His scoring ability is an obvious attribute, which he used early in the first half, but more importantly his ability to slow down the game is where he truly showed out. He has great feel for the game, which means he knows when to play both fast and slow, and tonight was the game to slow things down. Even with an aging Goran Dragic, it seems as if he isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and will continue to be a huge part of this Miami Heat team.

#4: Bam Adebayo’s offensive confidence seems to improve game by game.

Bam Adebayo’s scoring has been the thing people are waiting to emerge this season, specifically with his jumper. It’s never been about can he shoot the mid-range jumper, but instead will he shoot it. And tonight, we got the answer to that question. He came out in the first quarter with a purpose to initiate offense with the ball in his hands. And even though all of the shots weren’t falling for him, it’s a step in the right direction. The shots will begin to fall eventually, but it’ll come down to finding his spots that he’s most comfortable. And after watching him shoot it in both preseason games and tonight’s season opener, he seems at his best after the jab step. Either way, seeing Bam becoming more and more confident is a great sign for his progression going forward.

#5: Miami’s depth has been a point of emphasis, and rightfully so.

It seems as if it may have been getting old for a lot of people, when repeatedly hearing the Miami Heat’s depth being such a strength for this team. And well, I think that was on display tonight. For most of the game, the bench unit outplayed the starting lineup, mostly due to the fluid offense by limiting turnovers. That mostly falls under the two categories that I discussed before with Precious Achiuwa and Goran Dragic, but even others proved to be high value guys in a game like this. And we didn’t even see Avery Bradley or KZ Okpala, who are two guys that can easily help this team win basketball games right now. Coach Spo has an interesting task to deal with when talking about the rotation, but he’s got many options to choose from.

Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler: The Perfect Match

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When discussing Bam Adebayo, it’s never about will he take that next leap, but instead when will he take that next leap.

In the two preseason games to start the season, the improvements in his offensive package involving the mid-range jumper have been clear. But if you think he’s getting major opportunities now on offense, just wait til Jimmy Butler lines up next to him.

Something I’ve mentioned lately is that although many speak about the offensive gravity that Duncan Robinson holds when on the floor, Jimmy Butler does as well.

Sometimes he doesn’t look to score early in the game, but once he starts attacking, it just truly opens everything up for the entire team. And after losing in the NBA Finals this past year, I can guarantee Jimmy won’t be taking any regular season game lightly.

The reason Bam Adebayo will benefit majorly from Jimmy’s offensive aggressiveness and flow is because he will have many open shots from about 12 to 15 feet. And if he doesn’t shoot those open jumpers, he will be hearing it from Jimmy.

Whenever Jimmy would drive and kick to him last season, he usually took one dribble into a floater, which obviously is great to use as well, especially for a center. But making a defense worry about that 15 footer just opens that up even more.

Another thing to note is that Jimmy Butler will be directing traffic a lot this season with the ball in his hands, and he will look to work the ball into their offensive staple. The offense runs through Bam just through his ability to pass, set screens, and hand-off, but adding that element creates the leap that many have been waiting for.

There’s a reason that this organization gave Bam the nickname “no ceiling,” and that’s because even after he perfects his jumper this season, there are still tons of areas that still have room for improving.

Many always rave about Jimmy Butler’s perfect fit for the Miami Heat culture and organization, but what about the fit with Bam Adebayo?

I know Bam fits perfectly with anybody in the NBA, since he does everything on the court, but their games align just as much as their mentality and eagerness to win.

As much as people want to constantly discuss possible trade scenarios and things of that nature, just feel comfortable either way having two stars that are basically the same person.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s First Preseason Game

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The Miami Heat faced off against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night in their first preseason game of the year. As expected, we got to see some run from a bunch of young guys, and even the improvements the rotational guys have made. Anyway, here are five takeaways from the game….

#1: Bam Adebayo’s jumper looks fluid.

It is obvious that the first takeaway had to involve the centerpiece of this Heat team, Bam Adebayo. We can talk about his heart on every single play, diving for loose balls in a preseason game, but we knew he had that already. The thing we’ve been waiting to see in his game though is the mid-range jumper, and he seemed to make it an initiative to go out there and shoot it. The first play of the game was a mid-range jumper from Bam, but a little bit down the line, the jab step into an elbow jumper gave some Chris Bosh flashbacks. Once again, the thing everybody has been saying is for him to have the confidence to attempt them, and if he continues to shoot them like he did tonight, his development will take yet another leap.

#2: Tyler Herro comes out firing, but once he cooled off, he turned into Goran Dragic.

Tyler Herro came out with a purpose to begin the game on Monday night, scoring 8 points early in the first. After that though, he and the rest of the team seemed to cool off from beyond the arc. These are the moments that many want to see, since it’s important to see the reaction from a young player. And well, he decided to get into his Goran Dragic bag of tricks. Whenever he attacks the rim off the dribble, he utilizes the backboard the exact way that Goran does. It’s no shock, since Goran is a mentor for his game, especially when attacking the basket. But seeing him really take a step in that area, as well as the ball-handling and passing, was a great sign in his development as well.

#3: Free agency acquisitions get some run, and both use themselves in different ways.

Many automatically labeled these two acquisitions as players that do one certain thing. Moe Harkless was labeled as the Jae Crowder replacement, but as I’ve been saying, is more like the Derrick Jones Jr replacement. And that is not a bad thing, it’s just that his size does not allow him to guard bigger guys like Jae Crowder did. Avery Bradley was labeled as a point of attack defender, which may be a bit of an overstatement. He can get in the opposing guards grill and be a disruption one-on-one, but where he really showed himself was in all of the small areas. He was a surprisingly impressive passer and a great facilitator on the offensive end. Obviously it’s not great to over analyze one pre-season game that they were involved in, but I believe adjustments will be made with them to make it an even better fit.

#4: KZ Okpala finally gets some playing time.

KZ Okpala was the most intriguing name heading into this game, since it’s been a long wait to see his game at this NBA level. An early corner three showed some great signs, but other than that he didn’t make much of an on-ball offensive impact. One thing that was shown though was his room to grow. He showed great flashes defensively and it’s obvious that there is still so much more room to improve. But what was seen most from him was his energy. If you’re following him on the court, he’s just constantly running. Coach Spo mentioned previously that it’s just about putting it all together, and that’ll come in time. But as of right now, he’s a very good perimeter defender who can be utilized right now.

#5: Precious Achiuwa enters in the second half, and looked like a rookie.

Miami’s rookie, Precious Achiuwa, got some run in the third quarter, and seemed to thrive when the ball was in the hands of Tyler Herro. I don’t know if those off-season workouts made it more fluid, but either way, they utilized the pick and roll well. Not to depict his game too much though, there is some work to be done with the dribble hand-offs. At this level, lazy under hand passes will not get the job done, but he will figure that out over time. His defense proved to look good, both down low and on the perimeter one-on-one, but on a tough night defending the perimeter it’s hard to totally dive in. Ultimately, Precious still has a lot of room to improve, but without a G-League this year, it’ll be interesting to see how that comes about.

Bam Vs Zion: The League’s Future is Bright

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The Miami Heat are set to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight in their first preseason game, as well as on Christmas Day. Although there is uncertainty of who will actually be playing tonight, both of these teams have one intriguing headliner for the future.

Bam Adebayo is coming off an incredible bubble run, but more importantly an all star appearance at 23 years of age. As much as people around the Heat have realized his nickname, “No ceiling,” seems to be fitting, it is now apparent that others around the league are beginning to take notice.

Zion Williamson, on the other hand, has had a prety different route than Bam had coming in. The hype around him coming in was well deserved, due to his talent level at the high school and collegiate level. And even had an impressive rookie season, although he missed quite a few games.

These two players paths are clearly different, but it seems their endpoint is similar. The reason certain players are appointed special is when they have one certain quality that depicts them from others.

But with Bam and Zion, there is multiple special qualities that each of them have.

Aside from the basketball talent, they both have that certain personality trait that just makes them likable figures around the league. And when you have that plus the talent, it’s clear that the future is bright.

Once again, it is a bit uncertain of who will be taking the floor tonight, which means we may not see this match-up. But don’t worry, since this will be a battle that the NBA will headline for a very long time, since the trajectory of both at such a young age is unmatched.

Duke vs Kentucky

1st pick vs 14th pick

Showtime scorer vs dirty work defender

The league has something special with these two emerging players.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo Top 15 ESPN Rankings

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ESPN has released their top 100 players recently, which 11-50 came out on Wednesday morning.

For the Miami Heat, Duncan Robinson landed at 75, Tyler Herro landed at 59, and Goran Dragic landed at 58.

Those can be debated either way, but the main rankings that people were looking for were where Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo would land.

Well, Jimmy Butler ended up at 12, while Bam Adebayo followed right behind at 13.

Jayson Tatum was at 11 right above each of them, which is questionable after Miami dominated in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Joel Embiid came in at 14, which means that Bam Adebayo will be ranked as the 2nd best Center, only behind Nikola Jokic.

It’s hard to truly break down a list like this, since it is just plainly all over the place, which is expected since it isn’t easy to make these type of lists.

But seeing a guy like Zion Williamson be ranked at number 19 over players like Paul George, Bradley Beal, and many others just doesn’t feel right.

But back to the Miami Heat, it’s great to see Bam Adebayo getting the credit that he deserves. But seeing him at 13 and Zion at 19 makes me think they’re projecting forward, which makes sense.

Jimmy Butler being behind Jayson Tatum can be debated, but other than that it’s a decent ranking for Miami.

After seeing 11-50, that means 1-10 will consist of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard, and Luka Doncic.

And by the way, if you asked Jimmy about the rankings, his answer would probably be that Bam Adebayo should be way higher than him. And that right there is why this team had so much success.

If Bam is the Engine, Jimmy is the Steering Wheel

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When Jimmy Butler spoke about Bam Adebayo in his media session, he said, “He’s the engine.”

This has been a statement that Jimmy Butler has been saying since he arrived in Miami, and it clearly is the truth. He’s the heart and soul of this Heat team, which is why he’s the centerpiece of the franchise.

But if Bam is the engine, Jimmy is the steering wheel.

Bam may be the one who “makes this team go,” but he also needs his leader to push him in the right direction. If Jimmy sees something on the floor or even in film, the team rallies behind him since they value his decisions.

Then of course you’ve got the tires, which sometimes could be new, but also could be used. Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, and others represent that, since even though they’re going to milk the use out of the used tire, a new tire will ultimately replace it in the long run.

The point is that every part of the car is needed for the thing to run, and that is what the Miami Heat represent. They hold each other accountable for a reason, and it’s because every piece of the team is necessary for the team to win games.

The media sessions with players is a circle effect. The leaders of the team praise the role guys, while the role guys praise the leaders. And that is exactly how it should be, especially since Coach Erik Spoelstra mentions chemistry in the locker room is one of the most essential elements.

And of course you have Pat Riley, who is the mechanic. If there is an issue with the roster going forward, a change will be made for the better, just as the mechanic improves the well being of the car.

And the well being of the car begins with the main elements. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo seem as ready as ever to start this season, since that run to the Finals was not just a “fluke.” It was a product of hard work, which was just a glimpse of what the future holds.