Bam Adebayo is back in summer school looking to expand his game.
MIAMI — The vision of Bam Adebayo last summer was of a versatile big man who could not only rebound and block shots, but also push the ball across midcourt and get the offense into motion.
And then summer league ended and the Heat’s 2017 No. 14 pick out of Kentucky settled into a more traditional big-man role during his rookie season.
Now, back for another summer, the goal is to have Adebayo pick up where he left off last July while also adding additional elements to his game.
If nothing else, there certainly will be ample opportunity. With the Heat without a draft pick last month, Adebayo again will be a featured attraction for the Heat’s summer-league appearances in Sacramento and Las Vegas, the only player from last season’s 15-player roster participating.
“I expect him to play in the majority of games,” video coordinator Eric Glass said, as he prepared to coach the Heat in Monday’s opener of the California Class on the Golden 1 Center home court of the Sacramento Kings. “If we get to a situation where maybe it’s three in a row or something like that, we probably may sit him or something like that.”
The Heat will play at least eight summer-league games, more if they advance in the tournament bracket in Las Vegas.
With Adebayo, Glass said it would be back to the future, plus more.
“Obviously we want to see him improve in every area,” said Glass, who doubles as a Heat player development coach. “We want to see his leadership and how he’s affecting his other teammates, all of that stuff that young players need. But in terms of on the court, you’ll see him handle. You’ll see him screening and rolling, like we like him. You’ll see him in the post a little bit. And hopefully we’ll maybe stretch him out to three.”
Adebayo appreciates increased expectations now that the rookie tag is gone. It has led to an evolving mindset.
“Be more offensive minded and aggressive,” he said. “Last year I kind of sat back and looked at everybody else. They want me to be more assertive.”
Glass warned not to expect to see Adebayo spotting up for jumpers, but rather learning where he can find shots, with the Heat approach to be similar to what coach Erik Spoelstra orchestrates during the regular season.
“The game flow will dictate that, but we can draw up some plays out of timeouts,” Glass said of examining Adebayo’s perimeter possibilities. “The system is pretty free flowing, so we’ll give him some options to space to the corner, or he’ll be down in the box. So he’ll have some freedom to get around.
“But obviously we’ll be coaching and getting him in spots we want him and places where we can get him most effective. But we’re going to develop his all-around game.”
The Heat have one more season before they have to address the third- and fourth-year options on Adebayo’s rookie-scale contract.
Coaching carousel
Spoelstra and Heat assistant coaches Juwan Howard and Dan Craig are bypassing coaching during summer league in order to allow the team to work deeper down the pipeline.
So in addition to Spoelstra assistant coaches Chris Quinn and Octavio De La Grana assisting Glass, the Heat also will utilize their G League staff, including Sioux Falls Skyforce coach Nevada Smith and his development-league assistants Kasib Powell and Anthony Carter, the former Heat players.
“My main goal is to help everyone be successful,” Glass said. “I want to put guys in the right spots to shine, and that includes the coaching staff. We’ve got Nevada Smith, Kasib Powell, Anthony Carter.
“So I just want to help empower them and let them grow and gain some experience and the players, the same way.”