Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo has attempted 104 three-point field goal attempts throughout his seven seasons in the NBA. To this point, Adebayo has not been much of a perimeter shooter. However, according to the 27-year-old himself, things may change on this front starting next season.
In a recent interview, Adebayo said he thinks head coach Erik Spoelstra is starting to trust his ability to knock down three-pointers. Furthermore, the big man said he plans on attempting 100 three-point field goals next season. This would double his career three-pointer attempts in one season.
Bam Adebayo believes Erik Spoelstra trusts in his 3-pointer now and plans on getting up at least 100 three point attempts this season pic.twitter.com/KUiSOpiktJ
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) October 2, 2024
“Sometimes I think seein’ is believing,” Adebayo said. “And I think Spo seeing me — well being my development coach in the Olympics was kinda like, ‘Man, you can shoot 3s.’ Yeah, it kinda clicked a little bit, you know?”
Last season, Adebayo shot 15-for-42 (35.7%) from beyond the arc. It is a small sample size, especially compared to established perimeter shooters in the league, but Adebayo is proving he is more than capable of developing his game and stretching the floor.
Bam Adebayo Reveals Biggest Change Coming to His Game
What Bam Adebayo Means to the Miami Heat
Last season was arguably Adebayo’s best campaign of his NBA career so far. On the year, he averaged 19.3 points on 52.1% shooting from the field. He also averaged 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Adebayo’s year led to him becoming an All-Star for the third time in his career, and he finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Adebayo is one of Miami’s most important players and will likely be their cornerstone for the long run. Earlier this year, the Kentucky alum signed a three-year, $165.3 million contract extension. On the other hand, star Jimmy Butler has two years left on his deal, including a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season, and his future with the team remains a mystery.
The Heat finished last season with a 46-36 record and barely snuck into the postseason. As the team aims to bounce back and make a deep playoff run, Adbeayo has proven he is essential to the team’s success.
The Last Word
Adebayo is already a great player. He provides a lot of value in every aspect of the game and is Miami’s defensive anchor. If he does become more of a three-point shooting threat, it should pay dividends for himself and the team. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see how this impacts the rest of his game and the team’s dynamic. Nonetheless, the Heat have nothing to lose at this point. Despite making an NBA Finals appearance in 2023, things are looking much more difficult for the team this time around. There is a lot more competition in the conference, and it will be difficult for them to replicate their successful run from last year. However, with Butler and Adebayo back for at least one more season together, there is no reason to count the Heat out just yet.
