The Miami Heat’s latest practice clip gave fans a quick but revealing look at the kind of offense they’re trying to build around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
On Tuesday, the team posted footage of the two frontcourt partners linking up on two possessions, and the best part for Miami is how naturally the action can flow. In one sequence, Antetokounmpo gets the ball moving and spots Adebayo ahead of the defense for a finish. In the other, Adebayo starts from outside the paint, takes the pass, attacks the first defender and scores as the help arrives.
That second play matters because it shows a version of the offense where Adebayo is not just standing around waiting for a spot-up look. Someone else begins the possession, and then Bam gets to make a scoring decision once the ball finds him.
Klay Thompson is part of the action before that second pass, too. Brady Hawk pointed out the sequence of Antetokounmpo initiating, Thompson sliding into screening action before slipping away, and Adebayo attacking on the next phase of the possession.
That kind of setup gives Miami a path to involving all three without reducing Adebayo to a perimeter-only role. Antetokounmpo starts with the ball, but Adebayo still has room to do damage when it comes back his way.
Erik Spoelstra’s comments added more context to what the Heat are aiming for. He made it clear he sees this as more than a spacing exercise.
“Guys can play to their strengths. It’s not just about three-point spacing with Giannis,” Spoelstra said.
“It’s about playmaking, it’s about cutting, it’s about Giannis sometimes playing off the ball and Bam making the play. I think the possibilities with having that kind of versatility are really exciting because it’s extremely unique.
It’s tough to find.
“Both these guys are unicorns in terms of their versatility. So it’s tough for the outside eye to really understand what that means and what that can unlock for your roster.”
Spoelstra’s description leaves plenty of room for the roles to flip, with Adebayo creating and Antetokounmpo moving without the ball. The Heat do not need both players doing the same thing every time down the floor.
Adebayo’s numbers from the 2025-26 regular season show why Miami can treat him as more than a floor-spacer. He averaged 20.1 points and 3.2 assists per game, giving the Heat a proven scorer and another passing option alongside Antetokounmpo.
The real test is whether those chances can be repeated once opponents are set and ready for Miami’s actions. In the clip, Adebayo has enough space to turn the catch into a drive. Reproducing that against a live defense will tell the Heat a lot more than simply watching the two stars share the floor.
The group had already spent time together during a players-only gathering earlier in September, and Tuesday’s video offered a basketball version of the connection Miami is trying to build. It’s only a short practice clip, so it doesn’t answer every question about spacing, help defense or lineup choices.
What it does show is a workable starting point: Antetokounmpo can direct the possession, Adebayo can stay active as a scorer, and the Heat can also imagine the reverse. The next step is finding out how often those looks can be created once camp really gets rolling.
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