Heat already had math problem in the middle, with Adebayo’s ailing foot compounding the interest

$Heat already had math problem in the middle, with Adebayo’s ailing foot compounding the interest$

Heat already had math problem in the middle, with Adebayo’s ailing foot compounding the interest

The Miami Heat’s struggles at the center position were clear even before Bam Adebayo left the court in the first quarter of Wednesday night’s 122-112 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The team entered the game with limited depth at the position, and Adebayo’s early exit only magnified the issue.

After Adebayo limped into the locker room at Ball Arena, the Heat found themselves thin in the middle, forced to adapt and rely on smaller lineups. As tests on Adebayo’s left foot continue, questions loom over how well Erik Spoelstra’s team can manage in his absence.

“We only got two, true — I mean Bam’s not a true center — guys that can play the five on this team,” said veteran guard Norman Powell. “So him going down, we’ve got to go small ball a lot. So it’s definitely tough.”

The difficulty was clear on the stat sheet. Miami was outrebounded 61-38 and dominated 21-5 on the offensive boards. The team rotated between Nikola Jovic and Keshad Johnson — both undersized for the position — to fill the gap in the middle.

Author’s Summary

With Bam Adebayo sidelined by a foot injury, the Heat’s already thin frontcourt was exposed, leaving Erik Spoelstra to rely on small-ball lineups against bigger, more physical opponents.

Sun Sentinel — 2025-11-06

Heat already had math problem in the middle, with Adebayo’s ailing foot compounding the interest

Author’s Summary

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