LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets handle the Bam Adebayo-less Heat

The Miami Heat were back in Charlotte on Tuesday night, coming off a loss to the Orlando Magic that snapped their 7 game winning streak.

The Heat were without their captain, Bam Adebayo, for this one as he treats a calf injury that has lingered for a bit.

From a first half with plenty of lead changes to a second half that Charlotte found their rhythm, the Heat found themselves on their heels late.

So let's get into some takeaways:

1. One unexpected Heat player gives a big offensive punch.

Nov 14, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson (16) warms up before a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Adebayo being out moves everybody up a lot in the Heat's rotation. Kel'el Ware into starting status, and with the lack of depth at the big man position, Keshad Johnson got his number called for back-up 5. And he came out blazing with energy. He put together a 13 point first half stint, including 3 triples, a baseline reverse dunk, and multiple relief buckets. With Tyler Herro and Norman Powell combining for 12 points on 4 of 13 shooting by half, his scoring punch off the bench is a big reason the Heat only trailed by 2 at the midway mark.

2. So what changes without the team's defensive anchor?

Mar 14, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) warms-up before the start of the game against the Orlando Magic during at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

When missing Adebayo, it's more than a hole on offense due to his 20 points a night. It's a massive shift on the defensive side of the ball. He's a walking defensive coverage with his ability to flip through different styles. When missing that type of defender, you may think that means more zone, but the Heat actually leaned away from that and more into the overall switching ability in the first half. Yet as soon as Charlotte caught their rhythm against Ware in the second half, Spoelstra went to Johnson again and stayed in that 2-3 zone.. That defensive discipline kept Miami in the mix throughout some of the offensive struggles in the first half, but the second half story quickly became: now we need to match scoring.

3. A Tyler Herro-Norman Powell note.

Dec 1, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13), guard Norman Powell (24) and guard Tyler Herro (14) get back on defense against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

With the injuries of Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins, it led to the duo of Tyler Herro and Norman Powell being back in the starting lineup together. In theory, that two man group working is the key to Miami's ceiling ultimately rising. But even on a night like this where Herro had his moments and Powell ran off a few in the third, it always seems to be a scenario of one or the other. It's expected with the lack of playing time the two have seen this season together, but that combined with the defensive issues puts a lot of attention on this chemistry. It'll be interesting to see how Coach Spo deals with this top heavy dilemma.