Haslem sends message to Adebayo about being a max player

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donis Haslem might need to have another talk with Bam Adebayo.

A Haslem/Adebayo summit over the weekend in Boston led to a Bam breakout in Game 3.

(More on that in a minute.)

Like every other Heat starter in Monday’s 10282 Boston rout, Adebayo didn’t offer nearly enough.

It has been an odd series for Adebayo, with one epic game (31 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, four steals, one block) and three games of pedestrian production.

In Games 1, 2 and 4, Adebayo combined for 25 points and took a combined 15 shots, with 19 rebounds, five assists, six turnovers and four blocks, and Miami was outscored by 26 points with Bam on the floor in those games.

Adebayo had his 31point breakout in the one game that Celtics center

Robert Williams missed. He averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in the three games that Williams played.

Statistics have never been the best way to measure Adebayo’s full contributions because of his defense, which has remained strong in this series. And he had a big impact in the 118-107 Game 1 win with as many blocks (four) as shot attempts.

But more is needed, particularly in Game 4, when Adebayo (six boards) was outrebounded by four Celtics, including Al Horford (13) and both of the Celtics’ starting guards.

Adebayo said Game 4 was partly a case of commanding more attention from Boston’s defense than he did on Saturday. “They adjusted,” he said. “So next game, we’ve got to adjust.”

Celtics coach Ime Udoka said late Monday night: “Bam got it going last game and guys take that personal.”

It might be time for another chat from Haslem. Hours before Adebayo produced that elite performance Saturday, Haslem sat with him for two hours. They watched film. They talked. They discussed what it means to be a $163 million man, a reference to his five-year max extension that began this season, with Adebayo earning $28.1 million in 2021-22.

Haslem explained, to The Miami Herald, what happened during that visit before Game 3:

“Right before [Game 3], him and I sat down and watched film for about two hours. It was a lot of technical things I wanted him to focus on. When you get this deep in the season, you have to be real technical about everything that is going on. You’ve got to do the right thing every time. It’s not going to work every time. But you’ve got to continue to work those habits and then you’ll have your breakthrough. A lot of the film work the night before Game 3 was details and going back to who you are and what you are and what you mean to this team.”

Haslem tries — as the expression goes — to keep it real with Adebayo.

“A lot of those conversations Bam and I have always had, it’s different,” Haslem said. “There’s a lot that comes with making $163 [million]. There’s a lot of expectations. But I told Bam the expectations that come with $163 [million] is just be a winner. You just be a winner! You be the kid you’ve been.

“You be the kid we gave the $163 [million] to because we know that kid can lead us to winning with the way he impacts the game. That’s all I told Bam.”

But that wasn’t all. “After we watched film for two hours, we sat and talked about what a champion is,” Haslem said. “What it means to be a champion. What it takes to be a champion. What you have to go through to be a champion. It’s hard. [I told him], ‘you’ll be down. You’re going to be out. There’s going to be a lot of frustration, a lot of confusion. Sometimes there will be doubt. All those emotions, you have to channel and manage those and be who you are.’ ”

Haslem said the key for Adebayo flourishing offensively “had nothing to do with getting the ball in the post. It was all recognition, all recognizing your opportunities, how to take advantage of them, how to attack different matchups, when to attack in the flow of the game, early, transition, things like that. Just pointing out there are opportunities to get himself involved and not necessarily from the standpoint of just having the ball in your hands.”

When I asked Adebayo who was most in his ear about being more aggressive offensively, he cited Haslem.

But Haslem said it’s not as simple as Adebayo turning on a switch.

“The way our offense works, the ball moves around a lot and the ball ends up where it ends up,” Haslem said. “The ball finds energy . ... But what I do want him to do is always maintain a certain mentality whether he’s getting the ball or not. It’s a mentality of aggressiveness and physicality.”

CHATTER

UM football has only five nonbinding 2023 commitments, because most of UM’s top targets don’t want to make decisions until late summer or next fall. Those five include Miami Killian’s Robby and Bobby Washington, two skilled defensive players. Robby Washington is UM’s only fourstar commitment; the others are three-star prospects.

Asked about ‘The U is back’ mantra, coach Mario Cristobal said a more accurate phrasing is:

“The U is back to work.

That’s all we’re back to. We don’t tweet greatness or prominence. We’ve got to get better: 7-5 is not the standard of Miami. We have to look ourselves in the mirror. This fall camp will be a truth teller, will tell the truth to how much we have advanced.”

Dolphins backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said one thing he’s noticed about Mike McDaniel’s offense is

“it’s quarterback-friendly. There are always guys open, running wide open at times.”

Drew Rosenhaus, agent for Tyreek Hill, said: “We talked to Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier, looking at Deebo Samuel’s role [with the 49ers]. The way they use Deebo is a correlation with how I expect them to use Tyreek. There’s even another potential level.”

The Mesa brothers — once ballyhooed prospects for the Marlins — remain far away from the big leagues. Center fielder

Victor Victor Mesa is hitting .182 (18 for 99) at Double A Pensacola. Victor Mesa Jr. is hitting

.240 at Single A Beloit.