Bam Adebayo’s season has been a bit of a mixed bag - and NBA eyes are starting to focus in on the offensive side of that equation.
Through the first few months of the 2025-26 campaign, Adebayo is putting up 18.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, shooting 47 percent from the field and 29 percent from beyond the arc. Those numbers aren’t terrible on the surface, but they also don’t reflect the kind of offensive growth many expected from a player entering his prime.
In fact, over his last 10 games, he’s dipped slightly to 17.3 points per game on similar efficiency. It's not a collapse - but it’s not a leap either.
And that’s the sticking point.
For years now, there’s been talk of Adebayo taking that next step - becoming not just a defensive anchor but a true two-way star. But that offensive breakout still hasn’t materialized.
The flashes are there: the face-up game, the mid-range touch, the ability to handle the ball like a guard in spurts. But the consistency?
Still missing.
Former NBA forward Brian Scalabrine recently weighed in on Adebayo’s offensive game during a segment on Sirius XM NBA Radio, and he didn’t hold back. Scalabrine pointed to shot selection as a key issue, suggesting that Adebayo too often settles for finesse rather than using his physicality to his advantage.
“I think he can be one of the best players in the NBA, but he’s just an average offensive player,” Scalabrine said. “He has the tools to be a great player.
When he drives to the basket, certain players will figure out how to use their body to get a layup - he’ll end up taking a fadeaway jumper. It’s his inability to get four or five of those ‘I’m just bigger than you and I’m laying the ball up’ plays.
If everything is a jump hook or fadeaway, you’re never going to be an efficient player.”
That critique hits at the heart of Adebayo’s offensive dilemma. He’s got the skill set, no question.
But the question now is whether he can consistently impose his will - especially against smaller defenders or in mismatch situations. Too often, he’s opting for contested floaters or post fadeaways instead of powering through for high-percentage looks.
Still, it’s important to keep perspective. Adebayo remains one of the league’s premier defenders - a switchable, versatile big who anchors Miami’s defensive identity.
That part of his game hasn’t wavered. He’s still the engine of the Heat’s defense, and that alone makes him one of the most valuable players on the roster.
But with the Heat hitting a rough patch after a strong start to the season, they’ll need more from their All-Star center on the other end of the floor. Miami doesn’t need Adebayo to become a 30-point scorer overnight. But if he can find a few more of those easy buckets - the ones Scalabrine referenced - and lean into his physical advantages a bit more, it could be the boost this team needs to get back on track.
The tools are there. The question now is whether Bam can put it all together - and finally deliver the offensive leap fans and analysts have been waiting on.