Bam

Adebayo

Adebayo appeared to be one of the few Heat players to understand what was on the line Saturday afternoon, with the 37-point loss dropping them into an 0-3 hole. With the defeat, Miami has now lost its last seven home playoff games, which does not bode well for its chances of extending the series in Game 4 on Monday. At the very least, Adebayo can be counted on to compete at a high level.

While Adebayo was limited in the scoring department, the eight-year pro led the Heat in assists and rebounds while being one of three Heat players to register a steal. In addition to his work on the boards and ability to serve as a go-to facilitator, additional scoring would greatly benefit a Miami team trying to keep pace with a dangerous Cavaliers offense. Adebayo will have a chance for more production in Game 3 on Saturday.

Miami’s frontcourt was solid in Game 1, with Adebayo recording a complete stat line and rookie Kel’el Ware (14/6/2/1 with two three-pointers in 38 minutes) providing solid contributions in his playoff debut. However, it wasn’t enough to counter what Cleveland’s guards were able to do, which may prove to be the prevailing storyline of this series. Adebayo should be able to put up quality lines on a nightly basis, despite having to deal with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. However, the Heat are serious underdogs in this series due to their comparatively limited depth of productive players.

Adebayo didn’t have a bad game offensively, but he really left his mark on the defensive end. As one of the premier defenders in the league, Adebayo was able to do a bit of everything to help Miami keep their season alive. His seven “stocks” matched his season-high, and he recorded his third straight double-double. Adebayo be tasked with slowing down Cleveland’s two seven-footers in the first round of the playoffs as the Heat look to pull off their second win over a No. 1 seed as a No. 8 seed in the last three years.

Adebayo is one of the NBA’s best and most versatile defenders, and the Heat used that to their advantage on Wednesday. He began the game guarding Josh Giddey, which may have thrown off the Bulls’ starting point guard. Adebayo didn’t have the best night shooting the basketball, but his rebounding and defense helped lead the way as Miami held Chicago to a season-low 90 points. The Heat visit Atlanta on Friday, with the winner advancing to face Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs.

The Heat are locked into the 10-seed in the East, regardless of Sunday’s outcome. Herro and Adebayo will sit out the regular season finale to avoid a little wear-and-tear ahead of their play-in tournament matchup with Chicago. While Kel’el Ware is available, his playing time could be limited since there isn’t anything on the line. Keshad Johnson and Josh Christopher are two players who are likely to log extended minutes after not being in the rotation for most of the season.

Adebayo’s line would’ve been reasonable had he played at least 35 minutes Friday against the Pelicans, but it was all the more impressive because he only played 22 minutes as the Heat won by 49. The 27-year-old center still managed a double-double and hit four three-pointers. While he got off to a slow start this season, Adebayo has finished the year strong for fantasy managers that stuck with the Heat big man.

Wiggins is back after a six-game absence, while Adebayo only missed one game before returning on Wednesday. Their returns mean Pelle Larsson and Haywood Highsmith will come off the bench. Since Wiggins’s minutes will be monitored, Larsson and Highsmith should still receive quality playing time.

Adebayo will return following a one-game absence, which will likely send Pelle Larsson back to the bench after a spot start on Monday. Wiggins hasn’t played since March 27, but he has a chance to return against Chicago. If Wiggins gets the green light, Duncan Robinson and Haywood Highsmith could see a dip in playing time.

The good news for Miami is that Herro is back after missing Saturday’s loss to the Bucks due to an injury. His return means Duncan Robinson heads to the bench, where his fantasy value takes a noticeable hit. However, the Heat will be without Bam Adebayo, so Highsmith moves into the starting five. While starting gives him a shot at fantasy relevance, Haywood’s inconsistent production makes him difficult to rely on.