Chris Bosh believes Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo can truly elevate his game and take it to the next level by doing one thing: “shoot it.”
Adebayo is already a one-time All-Star and at just 24 years old, he has established himself as a key piece for the Heat today and in the future. However, Bosh knows the young center is far from perfect and still needs a lot of work before becoming a major threat both in the East and the whole NBA.
The first step, according to Bosh, is becoming threat not only from under the basket but also from outside the painted area–all the way to beyond the arc.
“Shoot it. That’s it. Shoot it. Shoot it. That’s all he needs to do is shoot it, I’m telling you. I did it for 13 years in the league, man, and it didn’t steer me wrong. Shoot it. He has the playmaking ability, he is unselfish. It’s wonderful that he’s a team player. But for him to get to where he wants to go, he’s going to have to shoot the ball. I think he’s more than capable,” Bosh said, per Anthony Chiang of Miami Herald.
“Once he proves that he’s a threat out there, Brook Lopez and DeAndre Jordan and all those bigs, they can’t just be in the middle of the paint playing traffic cop. He needs to come back and he needs to shoot it until they guard him. That would be my recommendation.”
Chris Bosh certainly learned from experience. Before joining the Heat in 2010, he never attempted more than one triple per game. However, as the need for floor-spacing big man arises, Bosh adapted and increased his shooting volume–eventually attempting at least three 3-pointers in his final three seasons in the NBA and with the South Beach franchise.
Bam Adebayo, for his part, can use Bosh as an example and model for his career trajectory. There is no doubt he has all the tools to be a dominant player, but it's clear he needs to expand his offensive arsenal to unleash the full potential of the Heat.
The 37-year-old legend shared his mentality when he was trying to work on his range, though, noting that Adebayo should keep in mind that the rainbow line is just a few steps back from the mid-range shot.
“It’s just a few steps back. That’s what a coach told me, ‘Yo, don’t let the line get in your head. It’s a couple feet.' And I think it did take me a couple years to get used to the rhythm of the game shooting it. I would practice it, and then you have to get used to it. Once you develop that habit in practice, then you have to get used to the rhythm in the game. But once you get it, you continue to put the work in and it won’t matter. You’ll continue to be successful. But he needs to shoot it,” Bosh added.
The Heat will need Adebayo to continue dominating the paint and be aggressive with some bully ball. Nonetheless, it surely won't be bad if he expands his offense and be able to cover the mid-range to make hard more difficult for opposing players.
Miami suffered a disappointing sweep in the first round of the 2021 playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks, and so they will need their stars to get even better come next season. Fortunately for Bam, there is Bosh who is giving him a blueprint that he can follow to succeed and reach that next level.
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