Bam Adebayo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bam Adebayo Enters Health And Safety Protocols

April 10th, 2022 at 5:15pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat center Bam Adebayo has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). Adebayo will miss the club’s season-finale against the Magic on Sunday.

The news comes one week after head coach Erik Spoelstra entered the protocols. Spoelstra returned on Friday, guiding Miami to a 113-109 victory over Atlanta. Adebayo finished with a team-high 24 points and six rebounds in the contest.

Assuming Adebayo tested positive, he’ll be out for at least five days or until he returns two straight negative tests at least 24 hours apart. The Heat’s first-round series won’t begin until April 16 or 17, so Adebayo should be cleared by then.

Should Miami be forced to play without Adebayo, backup center Dewayne Dedmon and third-string big man Omer Yurtseven could see more playing time. The team could also go small by playing P.J. Tucker or Markieff Morris at the five.

Adebayo is in his fifth NBA campaign, finishing the regular season averaging a career-high 19.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. The Heat selected him No. 14 overall in the 2017 draft.

And-Ones: Evans, COVID Boosters, DPOY, Barnes, Mobley

March 24th, 2022 at 7:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tyreke Evans‘ drive to return to the NBA took another twist when the G League’s Wisconsin Herd waived him on Wednesday, according to a team press release. He appeared in two games for the Bucks’ affiliate, averaging 8.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG and 2.5 APG and suffering an ankle injury in the process.

Last month, Evans was reinstated into the NBA after being suspended by the league since 2019 for violating its drug policy. Prior to joining the Herd in the middle of this month, the 32-year-old guard had not played elsewhere since his ban.

We have more from around the basketball world:

While Kyrie Irving can now play home games, the NBA is still concerned about another COVID-19 outbreak. As part of a memo on the rollback of New York City’s vaccine mandate, the Players Association is encouraging eligible players to get booster shots ahead of the playoffs, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The NBPA is concerned about the “possibility of new variants on the horizon.” Approximately 75% of the league’s players have already received a booster shot, the NBPA tweets.
There’s no clear-cut choice for the Defensive Player of the Year award, according to The Athletic’s Seth Partnow, and he takes a closer look at six serious candidates for the honor. That group includes Bam Adebayo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Jaren Jackson Jr., Marcus Smart and Robert Williams.
The all-around ability of the Raptors’ Scottie Barnes and the Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley has changed the narrative on this year’s Rookie of the Year award, Eric Koreen of The Athletic opines. Unlike most high lottery picks, they’ve made a major impact on teams headed to the playoffs.

Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Bam, Collins, Bridges

March 20th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat guard Victor Oladipo, who continues to work his way back from quadriceps tendon surgery, has played in just four games since returning to the hardwood for Miami on March 7, averaging 5.5 points on .450/.222/.667 shooting across 16.3 MPG. Oladipo has also struggled with lower back spasms in recent days.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that the Heat were never anticipating that Oladipo could be a starter this season playing major minutes. Winderman notes that the 6’4″ guard, a former two-time All-Star with the Pacers before being beset by injuries, could still be a valuable contributor for the East’s top-seeded club in spot minutes during the playoffs. The play of fellow reserve guards Max Strus and Gabe Vincent has made any help Oladipo provides a bit of a bonus.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Heat center Bam Adebayo believes he deserves to be named Defensive Player of the Year this season, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Adebayo has been the anchor for one of the league’s staunchest defenses this year. As of this writing, the Heat rank fifth in defensive rating and fourth in points allowed per game. The 6’9″ big man has been no slouch when it comes to counting stats, either, averaging 19.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 3.5 APG this season for Miami. Though Adebayo has missed 25 games this season due to injury, missing some contests does not necessarily preclude a player from DPOY consideration. In the 2017/18 season, Jazz center Rudy Gobert won his first Defensive Player of the Year award after playing only 56 of 82 games for Utah.
Hawks head coach Nate McMillan sounds fairly skeptical that starting power forward John Collins will be available to return to the floor for Atlanta within the 10-to-14-day timeline initially provided by the team, per Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). “That’s when they will talk about his injury again,” McMillan said. “I don’t think we’re saying in two weeks he’ll be back. We will re-evaluate him in two weeks.”
Hornets power forward Miles Bridges, who should at least be a finalist for the 2022 Most Improved Player award thanks to his excellent play this year, is focused on reaching the playoffs with Charlotte following several past disappointments, per Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “I’ve been here before and all three years when we could’ve made the playoffs we didn’t finish like we wanted to,” Bridges said. “So I just want this year to be different.” Bridges is averaging 20.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 3.8 APG for the 36-35 Hornets, current occupants of the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte – currently 5.5 games ahead of the No. 11 Wizards with just 11 games left in its season – seems like a safe bet to at least qualify for the 2022 play-in tournament. Last year, the Hornets finished as the tenth seed with a 33-39 record, but lost to the Pacers in their first play-in game.

Heat Notes: Martin, Spoelstra, Adebayo, Trade Deadline

February 6th, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat swingman Caleb Martin and Hornets swingman Cody Martin are flourishing on their own this season, Mark Schindler of BasketballNews.com writes. The brothers, who are playing on separate teams for the first time, met on Saturday night when their clubs faced each other in Charlotte.

“The Heat gave [Caleb] an opportunity and I don’t think he’s looked back since… his mindset, what he brings to them and the dynamic he brings to them, and just how hard he works. That’s the culture there. So, I think he’s fitting right in.” Cody said.

Caleb (two-way contract) has averaged 9.3 points per game on 50% shooting. His brother, in turn, is playing a career-high 27.2 minutes per game this season in Charlotte, averaging eight points on 41% from deep.

Here are some other notes from out of Miami:

Head coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff will coach Team Durant in the All-Star Game this year, as relayed by the club’s social media team (Twitter link). The Bulls lost to the Sixers on Sunday, giving Miami the best record in the East. According to the All-Star rules, the team with the best conference record on February 6 gets the coaching nod for their respective side.
Bam Adebayo fought through his difficulties and continued to shoot on Saturday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Adebayo often becomes passive when he struggles to make shots, but he changed his approach and stayed aggressive throughout the game. “That has been one of the biggest downfalls in my career, [where] I’ll stop shooting,” he explained. “It was one of those games where shots were short and looked like it going in and it doesn’t. I had a lot of in and outs. [But] teammates kept finding me.” Adebayo attempted 21 shots in the game, the most since March of 2021.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether the team can afford to sit through the trade deadline. As we relayed, the playing status of veteran forward Markieff Morris (neck) is now uncertain, so the Heat could explore the trade market for another power forward.

Florida Notes: Chalmers, Knight, Bam, Lowry, Magic

January 16th, 2022 at 4:16pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran point guard Mario Chalmers, fresh off a 10-day hardship exception contract with the Heat, has joined the club’s NBAGL affiliate club, the Sioux Fall Skyforce, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). Chalmers will be able to sign his next NBA contract with any team. Winderman adds that veteran point guard Brandon Knight, who enjoyed a more active 10-day hardship exception stint while with the Mavericks, has also rejoined the Skyforce.

Chalmers, 35, did not appear in an actual game during his Heat return stint. He has not played in an NBA contest since appearing in 66 games during the 2017/18 season while on the Grizzlies. The 6’2″ vet served as the starting point guard for Miami’s two most recent championship teams, during the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons. In three games with Dallas, Knight, who went to high school in Fort Lauderdale, averaged 10.0 PPG on 45% field goal shooting, along with 2.7 APG and 2.3 RPG.

There’s more out of the Sunshine State:

Sixth Man of the Year candidate Tyler Herro could get fairly pricey should the Heat want to offer him a contract extension when he becomes eligible this summer, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Jackson examines the impact a lucrative Herro deal would have on the club’s long-term payroll, and what it could mean for the team’s future tax payments. The 6’5″ reserve shooting guard, 22, is enjoying his best season as a pro during his third year with Miami, averaging a career-best 20.6 PPG and 4.1 APG, along with 4.9 RPG and 0.6 SPG. He boasts shooting splits of .428/.388/.870.
Heat center Bam Adebayo‘s teammates are excited for the big man to possibly make his return this week, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. The 6’9″ big man, an All-Star in 2020, continues to recuperate from a thumb injury and is on track to play on Monday vs. Toronto. He has played in just 18 games this year, having last suited up on November 29. Chiang adds that veteran starting point guard Kyle Lowry, who has played at a borderline All-Star level with his new team, is ready to face off against his last NBA club, the Raptors, for the first time since departing in a sign-and-trade deal this summer. Lowry, 35, was a six-time All-Star with Toronto.
Healthy young Magic players were encouraged by the recent bench presence of several injured teammates, who traveled with the club during a recent 1-2 three-game road stint, writes Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel. “Once we get everybody healthy, we’re going to build something special over here,” second-year point guard Cole Anthony noted, a somewhat optimistic projection for the team with the worst record in the NBA (8-36). Pricey power forward Jonathan Isaac, who has been out with a torn ACL since August 2020, traveled with the team for the first time since his injury. The 24-year-old recently took part in a team shootaround, along with injured guards Markelle Fultz, Michael Carter-Williams and E’Twaun Moore, but has yet to take contact. Rookie guard Jalen Suggs, the fifth pick in the 2021 draft, was available for two games during the road swing, his first contests with the club since being sidelined by a thumb fracture on November 29.

Bam Adebayo Aiming To Return On Monday

January 14th, 2022 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Bam Adebayo, who hasn’t played for the Heat since November 29, is eyeing Monday’s game vs. Toronto for his return, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Adebayo underwent surgery on December 6 to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. When the Heat announced the procedure a day later, they said Adebayo was expected to miss about four-to-six weeks. Monday will represent the six-week mark since the 24-year-old went under the knife.

Adebayo was having another strong season for Miami before sustaining his thumb injury, matching career highs with 18.7 PPG and 10.2 RPG through 18 games (32.9 MPG). However, the Heat have held up well without Adebayo in the lineup, despite losing more players for days or weeks at a time due to injuries or COVID-19.

Omer Yurtseven has emerged as a legitimate contributor in Adebayo’s absence, having started Miami’s last eight games at center. Before Adebayo went down, Yurtseven hadn’t played more than eight minutes in an NBA game. As a starter, he has put up 12.1 PPG, 14.6 RPG, and 3.0 APG. He has also grabbed double-digit rebounds in 12 consecutive games.

It’s probably safe to assume Yurtseven will return to the bench once Adebayo is ready to go, but his emergence – along with Dewayne Dedmon‘s solid play in his 11 games as the starting center – is great news for the Heat, who can be more confident in their frontcourt depth going forward.

Bam Adebayo Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks

December 7th, 2021 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 7: Adebayo underwent surgery on Monday to repair the torn UCL in his right thumb and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, the Heat confirmed today (via Twitter).

DECEMBER 1: Heat big man Bam Adebayo has sustained a torn UCL in his right thumb, according to a press release from the team. Adebayo will undergo surgery on the injury this weekend and has been ruled out indefinitely.

The Heat will have a better sense of Adebayo’s potential recovery timeline once the procedure is complete. The expectation for now is that he’ll be sidelined for approximately six weeks, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggests (via Twitter) that a four-to-six week recovery is possible, but Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes notes (via Twitter) that no player has come back in less than five weeks from an in-season torn UCL repair.

Adebayo, 24, is the anchor of Miami’s defense and one of the team’s go-to scorers. In 18 games (32.9 MPG) so far this season, he has averaged 18.7 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 3.2 APG with a .519 FG%.

The Heat have had bad injury luck against Denver so far this season. Forward Markieff Morris hasn’t played since the November 8 meeting between the two teams, having suffered whiplash when he was hit from behind by Nikola Jokic. Adebayo tore the UCL in his thumb during the Heat’s rematch vs. the Nuggets on Monday.

Morris and Dewayne Dedmon, who is currently day-to-day with a knee injury, would see an uptick in minutes during Adebayo’s absence if they’re available. P.J. Tucker could also take on an increased role, a backup big man like Udonis Haslem or Omer Yurtseven could start playing regular minutes.

Injury Notes: Adebayo, Jalen Green, Warren, McConnell, Towns, Porzingis

December 3rd, 2021 at 7:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat star Bam Adebayo says he’s always been a positive person, but after learning of the thumb injury that will sideline him for roughly six weeks, he understandably had a tough day on Wednesday, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays.

“I’m not the type of person that will put out negative energy. So I always think positive. But today was a downer,” Adebayo said after watching Wednesday’s lopsided loss to the Cavaliers. “But for these six weeks, I can’t change nothing about it. That’s my only option.”

Coach Erik Spoelstra says there’s no way to replace what Adebayo does for Miami and the team needs to weather the storm until it gets healthier.

“We need a little bit of time just to assess everything and formulate a new plan, a new direction,” Spoelstra said. “… Collectively as a group, we’ll make the necessary adjustments. When you lose an All-Star player, it’s never easy. But this is the league.

“When I look around the league, I see a lot of teams dealing with injuries and guys out and guys coming back. There’s a lot of that going on right now and we just have to weather the storm and recalibrate and figure out a new plan, new direction, which our guys are very capable of doing.”

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

Rockets coach Stephen Silas says rookie Jalen Green isn’t close to returning from his strained hamstring, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “Nothing really new,” Silas said on Friday. “He is still injured. He is progressing in a good manner but slowly. We’re just going to continue to evaluate week-by-week. But he’s not going to play any time soon.”
Pacers guard T.J. McConnell, who was previously said to be out “a while,” is wearing a cast and is now expected to be out for “weeks, not days” according to coach Rick Carlisle, the team announced (via Twitter). The Pacers also tweeted that T.J. Warren will not be playing in December, per Carlisle. He will have more scans on his foot at the end of month or in early January. Warren has yet to play a game this season after playing in just four games last season.
Karl-Anthony Towns missed Friday’s game for the Timberwolves with a tailbone contusion, the team announced (Twitter link). Towns had a hard fall late Wednesday night. He did warm up for the game, which is a good sign that it should be a short-term injury.
Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis was also sidelined for Friday’s game, per a team public relations announcement (via Twitter). He has a knee contusion. It’s unclear how long he might be out.

Southeast Notes: Ball, Hachimura, Okongwu, Adebayo

November 18th, 2021 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hornets coach James Borrego meets individually with LaMelo Ball at least twice a week to go over details that will aid the point guard’s development, Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes. They are especially focused on reducing turnovers and fouls.

“It’s really about decision-making,” Borrego said. “That’s really it. ‘What are you seeing here? What are your reads here? What are you thinking on this play offensively, defensively?’ Some of it is accountability, some of it is simply, ‘You are in the right position, you are not in the right position.’ I show him positives, I show him areas of growth. It’s not all areas of concern for me.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Wizards forward Rui Hachimura is expected to begin training with the Capital City Go-Go in the G League next week, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reports. Hachimura hasn’t played this season due to personal reasons and the Wizards are hopeful he’ll soon return to their rotation. The focus right now is mainly about getting his conditioning up to speed.
Hawks second-year forward Onyeka Okongwu has ramped up his activity as he seeks to return from shoulder surgery, he told Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 2020 lottery pick is hopeful he can get back in action sometime next month. “I feel stronger. Legs feel stronger, I’m getting my upper-body muscles back, and everything’s going well right now,” he said. “You could say that I’m definitely on track; my goal is still to come back in December, but I’m not going to rush or anything.”
Heat center Bam Adebayo admits the team was worn out by the time the playoffs came around last season, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Miami was swept by the Bucks in the opening round. “We are more solution-based and trying to figure out how to get it done rather than, ‘Here is our excuses to why we can’t get it done,’” Adebayo said. “But after the season, looking back at it, you was like, ‘Nah, we were broken.’”

Injury Notes: Nuggets, Gay, Claxton, Adebayo

November 17th, 2021 at 7:48pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets guard Austin Rivers says forward Michael Porter Jr. was playing through back pain the entire season before being sidelined due to the issue, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

“He’s 23 years old,” Rivers said following Monday night’s loss to Dallas. “He’s just gotta take care of himself and get himself right physically and that way mentally he can come to the court playing the way that we know he can play. He’s playing hurt this whole season. It’s hard to do that. Hopefully he comes back soon because he’s a huge part of our team.”

Singer notes that the back problems could explain Porter Jr.’s slow start to the season. The Nuggets have been vague on updating MPJ’s status after saying he’ll be out for the “foreseeable future.”

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

In a separate article, Singer writes that Nuggets guard Monte Morris has been playing through a nagging leg injury this season, but Morris says it’s finally starting to improve. “Today was the first time I was able to do (player development) probably since the second Memphis game (on Nov. 3), so I haven’t even been able to do that,” Morris said. “I’ve been getting treatment and just playing in games. I’m starting to feel better. Been able to play without pain and stuff like that.” Singer also notes that Will Barton, who’s been dealing with back soreness, has been improving, but is listed is doubtful for Thursday’s game, while Zeke Nnaji is out with a sprained ankle.
Rudy Gay could make his season debut Thursday for the Jazz. The team listed him as probable on its injury report tonight (Twitter link). Gay has been recovering from offseason heel surgery.
It doesn’t sound like Nicolas Claxton will be returning to the Nets‘ lineup anytime soon, tweets Brian Lewis of the New York Post. According to Lewis, coach Steve Nash said that, “Nic (Claxton) has a ways to go. He’s really got to work on his conditioning.” Claxton had been dealing with a non-COVID illness.
Heat star Bam Adebayo is getting a night off for injury maintenance on a bruised knee, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Per Chiang, coach Erik Spoelstra says that it will be “really beneficial” for Bam to get rest and treatment in order to reduce swelling in the knee.