The Miami Heat are not one of the most prolific scoring teams in the NBA in the 2022-23 NBA season. In fact, the Heat are just 29th in the league so far with just 109.2 points per game. Even when adjusted per 100 possessions, they still lag behind with just a 111.5 offensive rating. Nevertheless, the Heat have a sure offensive weapon in big man Bam Adebayo, who is so automatic when he gets the ball in the paint.
When informed that Bam Adebayo has surpassed Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo for the most points in the paint, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reiterated the need for Miami to further focus on getting the big man the ball in the shaded area, per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
“We ultimately want to get Bam involved as much as possible,” Spoelstra said. “We can’t get the ball to him enough. And that’s not just clearing out a side of the floor and trying to post him up. It takes a collaboration. There has to be a synchronicity of pick-and-roll basketball. But we don’t want to go too many possessions where we haven’t tried to get him the ball.”
Spoelstra made that comment following the Heat's 124-98 victory on the road over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night in which Bam Adebayo scored 20 of his game-high 26 points. He finished the game making 11 of his 15 tries from the field while also adding eight rebounds, an assist, two steals, and a block in 31 minutes.
Bam Adebayo can add to his paint-points totals when the Heat take on the Dallas Mavericks Friday night. The Mavs have a middling interior defense that is allowing nearly 50 points in the paint per game.
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