New Defensive Stat Shows How Desperately Miami Heat Need Bam Adebayo

The Miami Heat just won a much-needed game against the Houston Rockets to make up for their loss to the Atlanta Hawks, but one main takeaway cannot be overlooked.

Bam Adebayo had a subpar night offensively, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist on 33.3 percent shooting.

Despite the underwhelming offensive night, his defensive impact is the main takeaway. He finished with three steals and provided constant pressure in the paint and perimeter, frequently switching defensive matchups. When Adebayo was on the court for 34 minutes, the Heat displayed an elite 95.7 defensive rating. For context, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the best defensive rating in the league at 103.5.

The Heat struggled in the 14 minutes Adebayo was on the bench when the Rockets had a 121.4 offensive rating.

The Heat must find ways to win these brief moments when Adebayo is on the bench in the regular season because he should not have to play 40 minutes a night until the playoffs. The good news is the Heat are finally playing first-round pick Kel’el Ware consistent minutes. In this six-game stretch of being the guaranteed backup big off the bench, Ware is second only to Adebayo on the Heat in blocks per game at 0.8. 

With Dru Smith’s season-ending injury, the Heat need Jimmy Butler to return immediately. He had heavy stints with the second unit without Adebayo. Even at 35, Butler is essential to defensive schemes and provides another layer of disruption, which can help hold up the defense until Adebayo comes back into the game.

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook.