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The Miami Heat produced a convincing series victory over the Philadelphia 76ers to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat will face off with the Boston Celtics with their championship aspirations on the line.
It has been clear how important the dominance of Jimmy Butler has been to the Heat’s success thus far. Butler is averaging 28.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.1 steals throughout the playoffs. Butler also has increased his 3-point percentage from 23.3% in the regular season to 36.4% this postseason. He has been integral on both sides of the ball and has proven to be Heat Culture personified during his playoff success.
While Butler is sure to be essential to the Heat’s success, he cannot do it alone. The supporting cast will need to step up if they are to take down the battle-tested Boston Celtics. One player who will be especially necessary for this series is Bam Adebayo.
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Heat X-Factor in Eastern Conference Finals vs. Celtics: Bam Adebayo
Bam Adebayo has proven to be important to the Miami Heat’s style of play throughout his time with the team. The 24-year-old is regarded highly around the NBA for his versatility and effective play. His defensive ability and ability to guard all positions have been vital to the team’s success. During the regular season, Adebayo averaged 19.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals. He was Miami’s third-leading scorer and important on both sides of the ball.
Through his first 11 games of the postseason, Adebayo has not seen the same success. The Kentucky product is averaging 14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals. While this is still decent production by most standards, the Heat need more from Adebayo if they want to reach the level of success they desire.
With Joel Embiid injured for the first two games of the Heat’s matchup with the Sixers in the last series, Adebayo flashed what he is capable of. He averaged 23.5 points and 10.5 rebounds during this two-game stretch and made his presence felt on both sides of the ball. However, when Embiid returned, it was a different story. Adebayo averaged just 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds over the next four games in the series.
Joel Embiid is obviously a game-changing talent, but the Heat need Bam Adebayo to find a way to establish himself regardless of the matchup. The playoffs provide a new level of defensive intensity, and the fifth-year center has shown signs of struggling to adapt to this. Miami will need him to wipe the slate clean and get back to the high-level player he is expected to be.
Joel Embiid vs Bam Adebayo I ALL POSSESSIONS I Sixers vs Heat Game 4
Here is every make, miss and turnover between Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo when matched up during Game 4#Sixers #HereTheyCome #JoelEmbiid #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/W0e4oVUok9
— MRCROCKPOT (@mrcrockpot) May 9, 2022
There is no guarantee that life will be easier in this matchup with the Celtics. Boston is sure to mix up defensive looks with players like Al Horford, Grant Williams, and Robert Williams. Each player has their own individual strengths that could prove to be a challenge. Adebayo often relies on an athletic and quickness advantage to create his own shot, but this mix of looks could prevent this from being possible. Grant Williams and Al Horford each did a terrific job defending Giannis Antetokounmpo in the previous round and proved what an intimidating defense Boston possesses.
If Bam Adebayo is truly the top-tier center many believe he is, he must prove it in this round. The Heat will struggle greatly in this series if his current level of play continues. Miami must do a better job creating looks for the one-time All-Star, and it is on Adebayo to capitalize.
The good news is Adebayo does have a track record of success against the Celtics in the playoffs, playing a dominant role in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals by averaging around 22/11/5 with great defense. Who can forget that epic block in Game 1? If the Heat get that version of Bam, they will have a great chance to win.
