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Bam Adebayo gave his own injury update for Wednesday’s game.
The Miami Heat have been playing the last few games very shorthanded. Tyler Herro has not played yet this season, Norman Powell was dealing with a groin injury, and, perhaps the most notable, Bam Adebayo has been out with a toe injury.
Adebayo has not played since November 5th against the Denver Nuggets. That was the game he exited early with the toe injury. The Heat received encouraging news about Adebayo’s toe after that game, but he is still making his way back to game action. With his return getting closer, Miami has received an optimistic injury update from Adebayo.
Per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Adebayo is optimistic he will play on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors. Right now, he is questionable to return, but his optimism is the light at the end of the tunnel.
Heat Without Bam Adebayo This Season
The Heat have played the last six games without Adebayo in the lineup. In those matchups, Miami is 4-2, with their losses coming against the Cleveland Cavaliers and on the road vs. the Knicks.
In Bam’s absence, the Heat are averaging 5.1 more points per game, and they are allowing just nine more points per game. On the surface level, Miami is better on the offensive end of the court but worse defensively. Competition and other injuries factor into those results, but the Heat struggle to defend without Adebayo’s presence in the paint.
When healthy, the 28-year-old gives Miami someone to play through in the half-court. The Heat want to push the ball and move fast down the court, but Adebayo allows them to slow things down when they want to. The scoring Miami is doing this season is not something that would take a significant hit when the big man returns to the lineup.
Defensively, Adebayo is third on the team in defensive rating. He is behind only Dru Smith and Jaime Jacquez Jr. The Kentucky product averages the most defensive rebounds per game on the team, and he is second in defensive win shares. Getting him back on the court will be huge for Miami’s defense.
Adebayo and Other Injuries
There are only two players on the Heat’s injury report heading into their matchup with the Warriors. Adebayo is one of them, and Herro is the other. Herro is working his way back, but he has already been ruled out for the game. It would be a surprise to see Herro in game action within the next week, though.
Adebayo’s questionable status is something for everyone to be excited about. He is one of the more important players on the team, so getting him back is very important. There is no indication of a minutes restriction when the 6-foot-9 center returns to the court, but it seems likely.
Starting Wednesday against Golden State, the Heat will have to play five games in seven days. Adebayo playing more than 30 minutes in all of them is unlikely. Even with a ramp-up period, though, Adebayo will be able to make an impact in the game.
Cam Zunkel Cam Zunkel has been a sports journalist since 2022. He covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Cam also covers multiple MLB teams for On SI – part of the Sports Illustrated Brand. He is a former collegiate baseball player with two stops in the independent Frontier League. More about Cam Zunkel
