Heat Notes: Bam Adebayo, defense, playoff outlook

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra believes big man Bam Adebayo belongs firmly in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation alongside Victor Wembanyama.

“If we can really defend the way we’ve been defending the last month, then I think it’s a two-man race,” Spoelstra said, via Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I think it’s just whatever flavor you like.”

Spoelstra also made a case for Adebayo as an All-NBA selection.

“Obviously I wish we had more wins at this point,” he said. “But in terms of what he does on both sides of the floor, to me, that’s All-NBA.”

Slipping Defense

The Heat have now dropped five straight games, matching their longest losing streak of the season.

As Norman Powell put it, the issue has been how the team responds to adversity.

“When the going gets tough, we let go of the rope,” Powell said, per Chiang. “We get hit … and then just everybody starts worrying about what happened on offense and teams take advantage.”

Miami has built its identity on defense, but recent results tell a different story. The team has allowed at least 120 points in five straight games — the first time that’s happened in franchise history, Chiang notes.

Adebayo’s urgency has been evident.

“I don’t want to be in the play-in,” he said. “So every game, I’m going to try to go out there and do the best I can to carry this team.”

Big Picture

There may be a larger question looming.

According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, Miami’s long-standing refusal to take a step back has limited its ability to land another star-level player.

The Heat have spent years chasing a “whale” acquisition without success. And while that approach has kept them competitive, it has also made building a true contender more challenging.

Whether that philosophy changes could be one of the more important storylines heading into the offseason.