Miami Heat: Why Erik Spoelstra is wrong about Bam Adebayo shooting 3s

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is perplexed at the narrative that center Bam Adebayo needs to shoot more threes next season. Spoelstra told the media on October 14th that he doesn’t understand the obsession that fans and media have with Adebayo attempting more 3-pointers.

Spoelstra proceeded to say that Adebayo doesn’t necessarily need a 3-point shot at this current moment because he is developing in other areas. However, Spoelstra’s comments are misleading due to the type of player the Heat puts alongside Adebayo in the frontcourt.

The Heat like to use power forwards off the ball for most of the game. For example, Tyler Herro dribbled the ball up the court midway during the first quarter in a road game against the Charlotte Hornets.

He kept on dribbling the ball until he got to the 3-point line. Once he reached the 3-point line, he stood there for a couple of seconds and waited until Precious Achiuwa set a screen for him.

When Achiuwa went up to set the screen, Herro went over it. Unfortunately, PJ Washington was waiting for him on the other side of the screen, leading him to pass the ball to Trevor Ariza, who was standing on the left wing. Ariza ended the possession by shooting and making a 3`-pointer.

These offensive sets have led Heat power forwards to spend most of their minutes in the spot-up role. Since the 2019-20 season, power forwards have spent at least 43.5 percent of their possessions in that role, averaging a combined 2.8 possessions per game.

A significant amount of those spot-up possessions have been behind the arc, as Heat power forwards have taken at least 45 percent of their shots from the 3-point line.

Let’s take a look at why Pat Riley’s personnel decisions indicate that Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra should push Bam Adebayo to shoot threes

Despite the usage of power forwards, president of basketball operations Pat Riley keeps bringing in players that did not thrive in those two particular areas of the game. For instance, Jae Crowder and Trevor Ariza have shot below 40 percent before arriving in Miami, on at least 2.3 shots per game. More importantly, they have only made 33.9 and 35.2 percent of their threes, respectively, on at least 4 attempts per game.

Riley didn’t change his philosophy this past offseason as he brought in P.J. Tucker to be the starting power forward. Tucker is accustomed to being in the spot-up role, as 45.9 percent of his possessions have been in that role, averaging 2.9 possessions per game.

Although Tucker spent most of the minutes in the spot-up role, he has struggled to be efficient, only making 38 percent of his attempts on 2.6 shots per game since 2015. Furthermore, Tucker hasn’t thrived from behind the arc, shooting 35.9 percent since 2012 on 3.3 attempts per game.

The easiest way for Tucker to not be an offensive liability for the team next season is to put him as close to the basket as possible. Tucker has made 53.3 percent of his shots from the restricted area on 1.5 attempts per game since 2015.

Tucker’s efficiency in the restricted area has allowed him to average 1.5 points: 22.7 percent of his scoring output. There are multiple ways that the Heat could put Tucker closer to the basket: as a cutter, a roll man, or in the low post. Adebayo spent 49.4 percent of his possessions in those three sets last season, combining to average 8.7 per game.

However, that would require Bam Adebayo to stand behind the 3-point line as the Miami Heat only like one frontcourt player to be below the 3-point line at a time. In conclusion, Adebayo should shoot more threes because of Riley’s personnel decisions combined with the team’s offensive system.