Ex-NBA player Brian Scalabrine says that Bam Adebayo could be more ‘aggressive’ offensively

Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo has long established himself as one of the league’s top defenders, but some feel as though he has plenty of untapped potential offensively as well.

During the Heat’s 129-116 loss to the Boston Celtics, Boston commentator — and ex-NBA player — Brian Scalabrine offered a hot take about Adebayo’s offensive potential.

“I always felt Bam could be more aggressive. He should be a better offensive player... It feels like he could average more points and more assists,” Scalabrine said. 

Adebayo is averaging 18.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game this season. He has averaged 20 points per game just once in his NBA career, when he averaged 20.4 points in the 2022-23 season. Despite some recent growth in his three-point shooting, his overall scoring hasn’t ticked up just yet, even with Jimmy Butler now out of the picture, giving Adebayo — in theory — more room to become a top scoring option for Miami. 

Nonetheless, Adebayo’s efforts defensively have made him one of the NBA’s premier big men, and have helped push the Heat to a 15-13 record to start the season, right in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. He and the Heat will look to get the ball rolling soon as they look to improve after a disappointing result last season. 

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