Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Olynyk-Adebayo have been powerful pairing
Centers give Heat an option while teammates heal
MIAMI — It wasn’t exactly the emotion of the moment after blowing a 16-point lead in Wednesday night’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, but, for the Miami Heat, it may have been the start of something big.
On a roster loaded with power players, coach Erik Spoelstra, even in the injury absence of starting center Hassan Whiteside, finally went for a power play early in the second quarter, when replacement starting center Kelly Olynyk checked back in and rookie center Bam Adebayo did not check out.
Prior to Wednesday’s game, Olynyk and Adebayo had shared the court for 28 minutes this season. Olynyk and Whiteside had played 10 minutes together, all in the season opener. And Adebayo and Whiteside still have yet to work in the same lineup.
This time, Olynyk and Adebayo found themselves side by side for nearly 10 minutes, with the Heat outscored by one with that alignment.
“I liked it,” Spoelstra said as the Heat turned their attention to tonight’s game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. “That group has been playing together in practice for the last month, anyway. We’ve seen it. We’ve liked it. And I think we can build on that.”
Olynyk and Adebayo said Thursday that they were fans of the rotation that has them playing together, too.
“Yeah, of course. It’s good. He’s definitely a roll threat to the rim, kind of similar to Hassan where you try to roll off each other’s strengths,” Olynyk said, adding he hopes the Heat continue to use the rotation when Whiteside returns from his injury.
“It’s another mismatch for people, so just getting out there and having the prior work in practice and finally getting to do it in the game is good,” said Adebayo.
With Whiteside, when healthy, practicing on the first unit alongside either James Johnson or Justise Winslow, depending on which stood as the starting power forward at the time, it has afforded Olynyk and Adebayo ample time to forge chemistry.
“Well they’re both skilled. That helps. Kelly can play beyond the threepoint line and play off the elbow and handoffs and pick and rolls and Bam can do the same,” Spoelstra said. “Might not stretch to the three-point line but we feel very comfortable throwing the ball in the elbow area or in the post and that he can make a play for the team.”
When Whiteside returns from his latest bone bruise on his left knee, it could leave the Heat with a bigger second unit, especially with Winslow dealing with his latest knee issue. Walker, who is averaging 20.1 points in Charlotte’s last 10 games.
“These attacking, scoring guards, you have to have multiple coverages,” Spoelstra said. “They’re going to require you at times to take the ball out of their hands. That’s what you saw [Wednesday] night. The large parts of the first three quarters we were able to do that. But then they adjusted and found the seams and weaknesses in our defense and were able to attack the paint. Walker does the same type of thing with those herky-jerky movements.”
And for his part, Adebayo is just hoping to build on what he learned after facing Dwight Howard in Miami’s 105-101 win over Charlotte earlier this month.
“He’s a massive dude,” Adebayo said. “He’s going to try and impose his will on you with the short roll, short post.”