Just one week ago, Bam Adebayo was mired in the worst offensive slump of his NBA career: 11.4 PPG on 37.1% FG and 21.7% 3PT (5/23) over 11 games. Fast forward three games, and the Miami Heat captain is in the midst of his best offensive stretch this season.
Heading into the Heat’s five-game West Coast trip (starting Monday vs. Golden State Warriors), Adebayo is averaging 27 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1 steal per game while shooting 50% FG and 56.5% 3PT (13/23) over his last three outings.
How He Broke Out: “Staying True to Myself” + Caron Butler’s Guidance Asked how he snapped out of the slump ahead of Monday’s matchup, Adebayo kept it simple:
“Staying true to myself. You got to quiet the noise a lot. And having somebody on your staff you can talk to. Caron Butler is somebody that’s like my big brother. Throughout that stretch… he was always in my ear. He’s the one person I can really go to and talk about what I’m going through on the court, what he sees.”
Butler – in his sixth season as an assistant on Erik Spoelstra’s staff – played for the Heat early in his career (10th overall pick in 2002) before being traded in the Shaq deal. Adebayo added: “Being able to have somebody like that in your corner… CB is one of those people that I always call on when everything’s going great, but also when things are going bad.”
Key Change: Career-High 27% of FGA from Three Per Cleaning the Glass, a career-high 27% of Adebayo’s field-goal attempts this season have come from three-point range (up from just 3% two seasons ago). Bam made it clear:
“I don’t care about what anybody says about me offensively… People are looking at my shot chart saying I’m shooting too many threes. But you play the right way and you’re open, he wants you to shoot the ball. So I have enough confidence in myself to shoot that [shot].”
Norman Powell: “We Need Bam Aggressive – Always” Teammate Norman Powell stressed the importance of Bam’s mindset:
“We want him to be aggressive, we want him to attack… These last couple of games, he’s playing with a clear mind… When he’s knocking down shots like that, the floor opens up for us… His versatility is huge for us. I want him to continue to be aggressive, continue to be assertive, even if the shots aren’t falling for him.”
Still Elite Even in the Slump Despite the rough patch, Adebayo ranks in the 84th percentile offensive plus/minus, 95th percentile defensive plus/minus, and 92nd percentile overall plus/minus this season (Dunks & Threes). Spoelstra called his 30-point outburst vs. OKC “sensational,” praising his “competitive will” and decisiveness.
West Coast Trip Awaits Miami opens the five-game road stretch against the Warriors on Monday. With Bam locked in and aggressive, this is a huge opportunity for the Heat to build momentum – especially as they await Jayson Tatum’s return.
Heat fans, Bam’s resurgence is a reminder of why he’s one of the league’s most complete bigs. Can he keep this up on the road? Drop your thoughts below!