Bam Adebayo’s scoring surge for Heat has the league’s attention: ‘It’s a big-time compliment’

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo’s recent uptick in aggressiveness and assertiveness on offense end is catching the attention of opponents.

As Adebayo has consistently looked for his own offense more often during the past two weeks, opponents have consistently started to send double-teams at Adebayo more frequently.

The Los Angeles Clippers were the latest team to use this defensive plan against Adebayo, sending an extra defender at him when he got the ball in the mid-post area. But that didn’t slow Adebayo, who finished Thursday’s 115-110 home win against the Clippers with 31 points on 14-of-21 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds and four assists.

“I think it’s similar to what Tyler [Herro] has been doing and his evolution that teams are trying to scheme against him,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, with the Heat (12-14) set to close its three-game homestand Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs (5 p.m., Bally Sports Sun). “I’ve made that point to Tyler that you can’t predetermine. You have to go into it understanding that each team may have a different scheme. But it is going to be consistent that they are going to try to take you out of your comfort zone. Now we’re seeing a similar thing with Bam.”

Adebayo still found a way to get to his spots and lift the Heat’s offense on Thursday, with each of his 21 field-goal attempts coming from inside the paint to close 8 of 8 at the rim and 6 of 13 on non-rim paint shots. He entered Friday ranked third in the NBA in paint points with 358 paint points scored this season behind only Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (390) and Los Angeles’ Anthony Davis (362).

In the 36 minutes Adebayo played against the Clippers, the Heat posted an excellent offensive rating of 130.7 points scored per 100 possessions compared to just 73.9 points scored per 100 possessions in the 12 minutes he spent on the bench.

“When he has operated in the middle of the paint for so many games and he’s been so efficient with his shooting, attacking, getting to the free-throw line in his sweet spots, of course teams now are going to bring a second defender and that will be part of his evolution, and he already is a great passer,” Spoelstra said. “So that should help us once he starts to get comfortable.”

Adebayo has earned the extra attention by taking on a bigger scoring role within the Heat’s offense.

Adebayo has only attempted 20 or more field goals in 12 games during his NBA career, and three of them have come in the Heat’s past seven games. He also has scored 30 or more points in 13 games during his NBA career, and four of them have come in the last month.

In the past seven games, Adebayo has averaged 26.9 points on 18.4 shot attempts per game.

“It’s just reps,” Heat guard Tyler Herro said of Adebayo learning how to play against more double-teams. “You want to be able to go up against different defenses and see different defenses different nights. You adjust and you’re seeing every coverage. By the time you see every coverage, you get used to them and you’re able to make plays. I’m sure Bam will continue to do what he’s doing. He’ll keep seeing different defenses, but he’ll be able to exploit that.”

For now, Spoelstra said a lot of the double-teams are coming at Adebayo after he begins to make his move in the mid-post instead of on the initial catch.

“Right now what we’re seeing is it’s after he makes the move, that’s when the second defender is coming,” Spoelstra said. “It’s not initially on the catch. It’s when he goes into his move, then he can expect another defender. Then now he can kind of go back to his playmaking mode in those areas without taking a step back in terms of his assertiveness and aggressiveness. That’s that balance that young stars have to figure out and he will. It’s a compliment.”

In the final minute of Thursday’s third quarter, Adebayo showed one of his counters to being doubled.

When Adebayo caught a pass in the post with Clippers guard Brandon Boston Jr. fronting him, Clippers guard Luke Kennard floated in from the weak side to help. But Adebayo dribbled out of the double-team toward the three-point line before using his athleticism and quickness to immediately reverse course and get down hill for a clean reverse layup.

“That’s when you get into the film and you start figuring out little ways of when you see certain doubles, how they’re playing,” Adebayo said of adjusting to more defensive attention. “We got an iPad in the middle of the game you can check. And obviously, you got guys like [Udonis Haslem] who are obviously there to tell you wrongs and rights. So just me being patient is the biggest thing.”

Simply passing out of the double-team is another counter, creating opportunities for others.

“When they put two on the ball, I feel like it’s an easy pass out and then they’re in rotations from there,” Adebayo said.

Adebayo also worked to avoid double-teams on Thursday, scoring 13 points on rolls to the basket, four points on putbacks and another four points in transition. When Adebayo is catching the ball on the move, capitalizing on offensive rebounds or attacking in the open court, it’s much harder and sometimes nearly impossible to send double teams his way.

“It’s a big time compliment,” Spoelstra said of the extra defenders Adebayo is now dealing with more frequently.

INJURY UPDATE

The Heat listed Gabe Vincent (knee), Omer Yurtseven (ankle surgery), Nikola Jovic and Jamal Cain as out for Saturday’s game against the Spurs. Jovic and Cain are not injured but are spending time playing with the Heat’s G League team in South Dakota.

Dewayne Dedmon (foot) is questionable.

Jimmy Butler, Tyer Herro, Victor Oladipo, Max Strus and Duncan Robinson are listed as probable.