With the Miami Heat coming off a 136-131 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night, the team looks ahead to Monday, where they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, as Heat captain Bam Adebayo continues to deal with a toe injury, he will once again be absent from the team.
Miami would rule out Adebayo for Monday's contest against the Cavaliers, marking what will be a third straight game missed for the big man as he is listed with a “left big toe sprain.” He suffered the injury last Wednesday in the team's loss to the Denver Nuggets, and while Adebayo is crucial to the team's success, they have managed to win the last two games against the Charlotte Hornets and the Trail Blazers on a back-to-back.
So far this season, Adebayo has been key in leading the team into a new offensive philosophy, emphasizing a faster pace and a free-flowing unit. It has worked with the Heat, leading the league in pace with 106.95 possessions per 48 minutes and also second in the NBA with 124.1 points per game.
Heat's Bam Adebayo has been crucial to establishing the new offense
Adebayo has been cited as ‘balancing' the Heat's new offense, as said by newcomer Norman Powell to ClutchPoints, but as the team awaits the return of the star, Erik Spoelstra and the coaching staff will look to keep the ship afloat. In eight games played, Adebayo has averaged 19.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 34 percent from beyond the arc.
The 28-year-old's next opportunity to return after Monday will be on Wednesday night as the Heat once again takes on the Cavaliers, as the team looks to exact revenge after being swept by Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs last season. Miami currently sports a 6-4 record, looking to continue the early success with the new identity on the offensive side of the ball, led by Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and others.
