Heat’s Adebayo continues to grow into role of an NBA leading man

MIAMI — It was a moment that teammate Josh Richardson said arguably was six years in the making.

As center Bam Adebayo seized control of the Miami Heat offense on Wednesday night, attempting a career-high 27 shots in his 31-point performance in the 131-124 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center, Richardson thought back to 2017, when Adebayo was a first-round pick out of Kentucky trying to find his NBA way.

Back then, during those formative years, when Adebayo largely was considered a defensive specialist, Richardson and Justise Winslow, Heat draft picks two years earlier, kept prodding for a more aggressive Adebayo.

“His rookie year, his second year,” Richardson said, “me and Justise were in his ear all the time, to shoot it, ‘Be aggressive, you have the ball in your hands.’

“It makes you real happy to see him to be able to be as successful as he is.”

While the loss stung, not only knocking the Heat out of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, but also extending the Heat’s losing streak to three, it also was an open canvas for Adebayo to show his possibilities when cast as a leading man, in a game the Heat were without Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, among others.

“You can see it, you can see it from game to game, he’s always getting better,” said Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, with the two playing to a virtual standoff. “Especially when guys are not out there on the floor with him, he has to be more aggressive, the ball goes through his hands more.

“He can play-make, he can score the ball, he defends, he plays extremely hard. Every year he gives them what he gives them, what he has. And every year he comes back more improved.”

The performance was Adebayo’s career-best 10th consecutive game with at least 20 points, the Heat’s longest such streak since LeBron James did it in 2013. With 18 points in all 15 of his appearances, he stands with Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant as the NBA’s only players this season with at least 18 in every appearance.

Adebayo said the success is in the simplicity.

“Shoot the ball,” he said. “I feel like that’s been my evolution. It sounds very simple, but I came into this league as a defender. And then to this point, I’m taking 27 shots. So I feel like the progression has been to shoot that ball, worry about everything else later.”

But, Richardson said, what has been most impressive is that Adebayo also has been handling everything else, as well.

“Not a lot of guys can do that,” Richardson said. “I could probably count on one hand the guys in the NBA that can do the things that he’s doing right now. I think he should be a lock for All-NBA this year. Yeah, he’s really been carrying a lot of the load for us this year.”

The energy expended Wednesday was palpable.

“He was just super assertive,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, with a Thursday night game against the visiting Indiana Pacers up next for the Heat. “That’s what we need from Bam, is really aggressive, getting into the paint, creating those paint opportunities that normally Jimmy is so great at for us. Now we have a lot of guys with that ability to do that.

“But Bam was relentless all game long and that just shows you his capacity to do it on both ends. There’s no rest for him on the other end. But that was key.”

All while working against Antetokounmpo.

“For Bam to be able to be that aggressive,” Spoelstra said, “have 42 minutes, defend that guy that’s the number-one paint attacker in the last decade and then have enough energy to be able to attack and create a lot of those opportunities for our team.”

It is why even in defeat, the praise was effusive.

“I think what’s the most impressive thing for Bam is he’s doing it on both ends of the floor,” point guard Kyle Lowry said. “I think Bam being able to do it defensively is huge and key for our team. And offensively, he’s just continuing to be comfortable with his game, his handle, his spot shooting, where he can get to his spots and understand that sometimes he’s just stronger than everybody else and he can get to his points and finish.”