Inside The Heat

Bam Adebayo Was The X Factor For The Miami Heat This Season

Bam Adebayo led the Miami Heat in many statistical categories in an up-and-down season for the team

Shandel Richardson

Apr 29, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) looks for a foul call during
Apr 29, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) looks for a foul call during / Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports
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Bam Adebayo was the Miami Heat’s best player on the court during the regular season.

Adebayo averaged 19.3 points and a career-best 10.4 rebounds. He led the team in total points, rebounds, steals, and blocks. Adebayo played as a second option when the Heat were fully healthy, but also carried his weight when called to be the team’s primary scorer.

His importance became even more evident in the playoffs. Adebayo’s scoring jumped to 22.5 points per game during the Heat’s first-round series with the Boston Celtics.

Adebayo also continued to show his excellence on the defensive side of the ball. He led the team with 0.9 blocks per game and averaged more than a steal per game. Adebayo was named a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award, and will likely make one of the All-Defensive Teams once the NBA honors are announced. 

Adebayo was one of a few players to stay relatively healthy during the year as well. He played in 71 games. Jaime Jaquez Jr. was the only other Heat player to appear on the court more, doing so 75 times.

Many of the Heat’s core players battled through injuries this year. Butler appeared in 60 games. Herro only played 42 games. Many of the team’s role players also missed chunks of time as well. Adebayo’s ability to consistently play was a big part of the team’s success. 

Adebayo will continue to be a key part of the team moving forward. He is signed through the 2025-26 season.

Casey Fahrer is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at caseyfahrer716@gmail.com.

You can also check out his personal blog HERE

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here