Bam Adebayo’s 83 points incredible; and a sign NBA has a problem

Let me start here: Eighty-three points is ridiculous. Historic. It deserves recognition.

Bam Adebayo just produced the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, leading the Miami Heat past the Washington Wizards with a stat line that feels straight out of a video game.

Thirty-six free throws made. Forty-three attempts. Eighty-three points.

And that’s exactly where the problem starts.

Not with Adebayo. With the system.

The modern NBA has tilted so far toward offense that nights like this almost feel inevitable. Pace is faster. Spacing is wider. Defenders can barely breathe on a scorer without hearing a whistle.

So when a player gets hot, the avalanche begins.

Free throws pile up. Three-pointers fly. Possessions multiply.

Suddenly someone is flirting with Wilt Chamberlain territory.

That used to be sacred ground.

Instead, the league has quietly become a scoring carnival.

Commissioner Adam Silver has spent years encouraging pace, space and offense. The result has been explosive numbers, nightly stat eruptions and box scores that look more like arcade totals than NBA basketball.

Yes, the talent level is incredible. Maybe higher than ever.

But basketball is supposed to be a balance.

Right now, the scales are tipped.

Defense has never been harder to play. Physicality is discouraged. The whistle too often dictates the rhythm of the game.

Silver got the massive TV deal the league wanted.

Now it’s time to fix the product.

Do something. Anything. Let defenders defend again. Swallow the whistle a little. Restore the balance between offense and defense.

Because to be honest, this is all becoming sort of gimmicky.

You can love the NBA and still say that.

Actually, loving the league is exactly why it needs to be said.