The starters showed up for Miami during their home game against the Phoenix Suns last night. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo led the way for Erik Spoelstra with 24 and 25 points respectively, helping the Heat put away Devin Booker & Co. with a comfortable 121-111 scoreline at Kaseya Center.
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The Suns were notably missing Kevin Durant, but it was Spoelstra’s decision to relegate Terry Rozier and Nikola Jovic to the bench that ultimately made the difference. Butler was cognizant of these changes and he commended his teammates’ contributions during the post-game press conference.
“I would like to say and think that we were making all the right plays. Getting the ball to everybody where they’re in a position to score at a high clip. And then, we’re guarding. We’re doing that and then we’re getting out into the open floor and you see the ball go through the basket, the game seems to get a lot easier,” the six-time All-Star said.
“Kudos to everybody for drawing help and kicking it out to the open guy,” Butler added.
Jimmy Butler on the productivity of the starting lineup of himself, Herro, Robinson, Highsmith, and Adebayo.
“I would like to say we’re making all the right plays…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/Drz4O2gdUl
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) December 8, 2024
With Duncan Robinson and Haywood Highsmith slotting into the starting five, Miami’s floor spacing saw a significant improvement as the Heat knocked down 40.6% of their three-pointers last night. The Heat’s previous starting lineup with Rozier and Jovic was shooting 36.9% from deep as a unit. This led to the team being outscored by 41 points in the 91 minutes they played together.
Conversely, with Robinson and Highsmith, Miami’s starting five are now sitting at a +37 box plus minus. Spoelstra seems to be committed to this new lineup as he was full of praise for their play last night.
“6-2. That’s where we are right now,” the head coach said about the current starting five’s record. “Whatever we need to get the job done. We have depth. You know, we need to start moving in this season. And they were good tonight.”
Even with the added spacing in the new lineup, the real difference maker for Miami was the performance of their star center.
Bam Adebayo was aggressively getting to the line against Phoenix
With the Heat facing a five-point deficit at halftime, Bam came out strong in the third quarter, drawing 8 free-throws during the period. He went 6 of 8 from the stripe and shot an impressive 9 of 16 from the field, leading the way for Miami with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists.
“His leadership in that third quarter is what I saw,” Spoelstra added. “He was the one organizing everybody.”
Entering Saturday, Adebayo was averaging just 4 free throw attempts per game — a steep drop-off from his averages over the past three seasons. He looked timid while attacking the paint, as he preferred to get around the defense instead of using his strength to go through them.
Bam instead deferred to the mid-range and three-point line (he is averaging a career-high 2.8 attempts from beyond the arc). While it’s essential that he adds that threat to his offense, Adebayo’s inefficiencies have certainly hurt Miami. His 42.9% shooting from the field is the lowest mark of his career. But the transition seems to be smoothing out over the last few games.
If the 27-year-old can maintain this level of aggression, the Heat could stand a chance to break into the top 4 of the injury-laden Eastern Conference.
