It’s been a tough season for the Miami Heat, as injuries have prevented them from playing at the level we all know they’re capable of playing.
But one should know better than to count any Erik Spoelstra team out with a full half of basketball left in the season, and it seems like they’re finally starting to find their groove again.
Notably, plenty of that has to do with Bam Adebayo‘s surge after some inconsistent play earlier in the season, as he’s making a late push for an All-Star selection recently.
Bam reminded us all just how good he is with a dominant performance vs. Jonas Valanciunas and the New Orleans Pelicans, scoring 26 points on 11/15 shooting (4/6 from the line) to go along with eight rebounds, two steals, and a +/- of 16 in 31 minutes.
Also, as NBA insider Naveen Ganglani points out, he’s currently the league’s leader in points in the paint.
Bam Adebayo's leap back to the All-Star game continued in New Orleans:
26 points
11/15 FG
4/6 FTs
8 rebounds
2 steals
+16 in 31 minutes.NBA's leading scorer in the paint.
Top 3 center in the league. pic.twitter.com/89VTou1ENN— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) January 19, 2023
There were some rumblings about a potential Adebayo trade as the Heat look to add another star to improve their roster.
Needless to say, those rumors have been shut down over and over, and the chances of Pat Riley moving on from him at this point in the season seem quite slim.
The Heat have won seven of their past ten games and have climbed to the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference, trailing the top-seeded Boston Celtics by 8.5 games.
So, look out for them if they manage to strike a deal prior to the deadline, as they’re not the kind of team you want to come across in the postseason.
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