Former NBA player and coach Sam Mitchell believes Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo is making a big mistake against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.

In Game 4, fans saw Adebayo take on a playmaker role similar to what Jokic is doing for the Nuggets. However, it was a massive fail for the Heat big man. He ended up with seven turnovers while being unable to impact the offense with his 20 points on 8-of-19 shooting.

For Mitchell, who won Coach of the Year with the Toronto Raptors in 2007, Adebayo shouldn't try to be like Jokic and make plays for his teammates. After all, unlike the Nuggets, there aren't really plenty of reliable offensive options for Miami over him and Jimmy Butler.

“[Nikola Jokic] is making those passes, he's passing to guys who can score. Bam [Adebayo is] passing it to guys that he's hoping to score. There's nobody Bam is passing to other than Jimmy Butler that's a better option,” Mitchell explained on NBA TV.

Ex-NBA point guard and current Raptors assistant Earl Watson added to that sentiment, noting that it will benefit the Heat more if Adebayo can focus on the offensive end and be more of a scorer.

“Bam has to continue to be a scorer instead of a playmaker. He can’t take on the persona of the Joker,” Watson shared.

Facing elimination, the Heat will definitely need Adebayo to step up in Game 5 to extend the series. Also, they can't afford to have him turn the ball over multiple times and give the Nuggets extra scoring opportunities.

Perhaps heeding the advice of Sam Mitchell and Earl Watson is the best option for Adebayo now. Game 5 is scheduled on Monday in Denver, where the Nuggets will look to close the series in front of their home fans.