Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Adebayo a new defensive factor for Miami along the perimeter
MIAMI — Bam Adebayo had his moments during his rookie season a year ago, stepping up with perimeter stops against players such as Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and LeBron James when caught on switches.
Those used to be the exception. Now as a Miami Heat starter alongside Kelly Olynyk in an oversized frontline, the moments have become the rule.
Wednesday night, Adebayo helped control Blake Griffin, limiting the Detroit Pistons forward to nine shots in the Heat’s 34-point blowout victory.
Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena against the Milwaukee Bucks, the ante will be raised against Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“We’re asking [Adebayo] to now guard more players and that’s a compliment to his skill set,” coach Erik Spoelstra said after Thursday’s practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. “But as he learns the league and learns more players’ tendencies, learns our system more, he should be able to handle more.”
For Spoelstra, it is a tribute to the work put in by the 6-foot-10, 255-pounder, who was a first-round draft pick in 2017.
“His improvement all across the board has been 10X,” Spoelstra said, using the number “10” and the letter “X” as his latest Spoism. “It’s because of the commitment level and what he puts into it. He’s typically the first one in the building, one of the last ones to leave. Good things tend to happen when you have that level of obsession.”
Obsession and confidence.
“My coaches have trust in me to get [a] stop on the perimeter,” Adebayo said. “So I believe in myself and I take all of our challenges personally.”
The challenge with the Bucks also includes chasing big men Nikola Mirotic and Brook Lopez practically out to Biscayne Boulevard (or Biscayne Bay on the opposite end).
“Lopez and Mirotic probably shoot it from deeper range than any other bigs in the league,” Spoelstra said. “They both shoot it from 30 [feet] — no exaggeration.”
Ready to launch — and not only the big men.
“They have shooting all over the place,” Spoelstra said of the Bucks. “It’s just another thing that you’re going to have to deal with. They shoot just about as many 3s as Houston does, [but] they do it in a different way, [with] a little bit more ball movement [and] pace. We saw it the other day with Toronto.”
The Bucks enter a league-best 51-17.
“There’s a reason why they have the best record in the league,” Spoelstra said. “They’re a damn good team, very well-coached. They have one MVP-caliber player and a lot of highlevel NBA players with great resumes in this league.
“And what they’ve done probably more than anything is commit to playing together, bringing out the most of each other. They’re a very good team.”
Parting gift: It’s not like Wayne Ellington didn’t already have a Heat jersey, but the former Miami guard now has a No. 3 version, selected by Dwyane Wade for his retirementtour jersey swap after Wednesday’s game.
“It’s been an honor to play with D-Wade this past year and some change, and [to] get to know him as a person has been even better,” said Ellington, who was traded Feb. 6 after 2 1⁄2 seasons with the Heat, signing with the Pistons shortly thereafter. “Just to know the type of guy he is off the floor, he’s one of the most selfless superstars this game has seen. And obviously what he has done on the court doesn’t need to be spoken about. He’s phenomenal and I’m glad I had the chance to spend that time with him.”
Ellington said Wade’s imprint on the Heat’s young players was tangible.
“He’s a great teammate,” Ellington said. “I’ve seen the way he wrapped a lot of the young guys in the locker room around his arms, showed them the ways, mentored them. You can see since he has gotten back, they’ve gotten a lot better. Confidence has risen, and he’s a big part of that. He’s done a phenomenal job leading.”
The Heat on Thursday returned two-way forward Yante Maten to their developmental-league affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, amid the stretch run of the G League playoff race.