While Miami is up 2-0 in their first-round series against Atlanta, some of their star players have had lackluster performances. The Hawks are a team that can get hot at any moment, and this was seen towards the end of Game 2. Miami’s 16 point lead was cut down to 3 points with three minutes left in the game. Despite the Heat pulling out the win towards the end, they need more from players not named Jimmy Butler in order to close out the Hawks.
The first player that needs to be discussed is Bam Adebayo. While it was unclear if he would play in this series at all due to COVID protocols, he eventually got cleared before Game 1. Whether he’s still recovering from his illness or he’s just a little rusty, this doesn’t look like the same player we saw towards the end of the regular season.
In this series, Bam is averaging 7.5 points, 6 rebounds, and only converting 36.4% of his shots from the field. He’s also taken way less shots, only averaging 5.5 shot attempts in these two games. His defensive impact is still present, but he’s been almost non-existent on the offensive end. Even if he doesn’t turn it around this series, he’ll have to be better in a potential matchup against MVP candidate Joel Embiid if they make the second round.
Tyler Herro is another player that has underperformed so far in this series. Despite being the team’s second-leading scorer in the regular season, Tyler has struggled to find his shot in these two games. He’s averaging 10.5 points, 4 rebounds, and only converting 36.4% of his shots from the field, including 12.5% from three. Tyler is putting up 11 field goal attempts per game, but just can’t seem to have them fall at his usual rate. Miami has found production from other players in this series, but they need these two stars to step up in order to close out the Hawks in a timely manner.
For more NBA coverage, click here.
