Miami Heat’s Big Man Duo Shows Signs of Improvement For the first one-and-a-half seasons, the Miami Heat’s pairing of Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware struggled to develop chemistry on both ends of the floor. Last season, their most frequent lineups ranked in the 42nd and 39th percentile in NET rating, with offensive efficiency hovering around the 41st and 18th percentile, according to Cleaning The Glass. While there were moments of success, their spacing often suffered, as both players frequently occupied similar areas on the court. This trend continued through February of this season, when the duo posted a minus-6.2 NET rating, indicating poor performance on defense and offense. Their struggles were evident in their inability to generate consistent scoring or limit opponents, with defensive lapses and offensive inefficiencies hampering their impact. However, recent developments suggest a turning point. Over the past month, Adebayo and Ware have emerged as one of the league’s most productive duos, earning recognition for their growing synergy and effectiveness. NBA.com’s lineup tracking data shows they’ve spent 75 minutes together since the start of February, during which they’ve outscored opponents by 109 points in 105 minutes. Their NET rating of plus-47.8 ranks as the best in the league during that span. The competition they’ve faced has been relatively weak, with their opponents including only three teams above .500 record. Still, their dominance has been notable, as they’ve outscored Houston’s frontcourt by 21 points, Charlotte by two points, and completely overwhelmed Washington, Brooklyn, and New Orleans—teams considered among the league’s weaker squads. Looking ahead, the duo faces more challenging matchups.#miami_heat #bam_adebayo #kelel_ware #nba_com #cleaning_the_glass
