Bam Adebayo Will Lead The Heat in Game 1 of the Playoffs Against the Atlanta Hawks

The Miami Heat will begin their playoff journey this afternoon after a dominant regular season where they finished atop the Eastern Conference standings. The Heat will open their first series at home against the 8th seeded Atlanta Hawks, who advanced to that position from 10th through the play-in games. While Trae Young of the Hawks may command the most star power in the building this afternoon, Miami’s versatile big man Bam Adebayo will be the X-factor in today’s game.

Adebayo missed two of the Heat’s four regular season contests against the Hawks this year, a regular season series in which the Heat won three of those four. When he did face the Atlanta squad, he averaged 22 points, six rebounds, and nearly five assists. The Miami center/forward is a powerhouse of strength, length, and quickness, attributes that make him an elite defender in today’s perimeter-oriented game.