Miami Heat: Addition of Jimmy Butler sparks optimism for 2019-20

Storyline 2: How far can Bam Adebayo progress?

Supplanting Hassan Whiteside as the full-time starter for the Miami Heat towards the end of last season, it didn’t take long to discover the difference Bam Adebayo can make at both ends of the floor.

In his first full month as a starter, the Heat posted an 11-4 record for the month of March, with Adebayo averaging 11.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Most notably, among all players in the league who played at least 10 games while averaging at least 26 minutes per game during that span, Adebayo led the league with a 99.0 defensive rating.

A legitimate modern-day center, Adebayo’s ability to cover virtually all five positions on the floor, while also being content to play a role within the offense and not be concerned with his own game, is going to be a mouth-watering prospect for coach Erik Spoelstra as the season progresses.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1163561003075985410?s=20

Put bluntly, the main aspect that will separate Adebayo from that of his predecessor will be the energy and commitment he puts forth on a nightly basis.

Whereas Whiteside was prone to have either quarters or full games in which his intensity levels were questionable, one of Adebayo’s greatest strengths is the high motor he plays with and thus the seemingly unending levels of energy he exhibits at both ends of the floor.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1128720327108898816?s=20

Just recently, former Heat All-Star and championship player Chris Bosh was full of praise for what lay ahead for Adebayo:

"“In my opinion, I think he can be one of the best big men in the league.I think he’ll have to kind of want to do that. He has the make up if he wants to really go for it on his own. But as far as raw talent, he’s very talented. … I think he has a tremendous upside and eventually, as he develops, I think he’s going to see where he can take it — if he wants to take it there.”"

Having played 30 or more minutes in just 23 of his 151 career games thus far with the Heat, taking the next step as a starter and increasing his work load is going to be the next step in Adebayo’s evolution.

While he averaged 28.2 minutes per game over his 28 starts last season, the combination of Whiteside’s departure and his own development should mean Adebayo’s playing time takes a noticeable leap in 2019-20.