Miami Heat: 3 goals for Bam Adebayo in 2018-19

3. Improve shooting

Adebayo’s jump shot looks good, but the numbers say otherwise.

His shot is fluid and he has a high release point. However, he shot under 35 percent from areas outside of three feet from the hoop. The majority of his scoring came from assists from teammates inside the paint or off a rebound. Still, Adebayo has a good foundation to work with.

The part of his jumper that needs the most work is his followthrough. His wrist doesn’t move too much as he shoots. Fixing this issue can make him a much more efficient scorer. Adebayo already makes 64.2 percent of shots inside three feet, so improving his mid-range shot would be a huge benefit to the offense. It would pull his defender further from the basket, opening the lane up more for cutters. It would also make Adebayo a great pick-and-pop partner in addition to being a great roller.

Adding a respectable 3-point shot would take his game to new levels. While it is unlikely that Adebayo shoots around 30 percent on 3s just yet, being able to do so would make him a matchup nightmare. He already has an impact in the paint from catching lobs and posting up; if he could do damage from behind the arc, it would intimidate even the best defenders. However, the Heat don’t have to rush Adebayo’s development as they are still likely to make the playoffs, so he likely won’t be shooting many 3s.

For this season, Adebayo should aim to shoot around 45 percent from mid range (3-16 feet) this season. Achieving this would open up his offensive game significantly.