Heat Can Avoid Franchise-Altering Mistake With A Single Rotation Change

The Miami Heat have two phenomenal big men in Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware, but some are convinced the two cannot coexist.

Ware is dominating in the preseason with three consecutive monstrous performances prior to Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. He first recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds versus the Milwaukee Bucks, then 29 points and 12 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs, and finally put up 24 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Orlando Magic.

Meanwhile, Adebayo is having mediocre outings in a limited preseason role.

This led one Heat fan to post to X, writing, "The Heat now have to choose between keeping Bam or letting Ware have a chance to become a superstar."

While Ware or Adebayo would certainly have a greater number of touches without the other in the mix, real success for the Heat comes by playing them alongside each other. Adebayo stepped into a Draymond Green-like role last season, acting heavily as a playmaker and defensive anchor. If this trend continues, Ware's athletic, scoring style of play will not cross paths with Adebayo much at all.

Given Adebayo is only 6-foot-9, there's no reason he can't start at power forward just as Green does for the Golden State Warriors.

Unless Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes available, there's no need for Miami's front office to contemplate trading either of these stars in the near future.

Heat vs. Hawks Takeaways

The Heat remain winless in the preseason, 0-5, after a late-seconds loss to the Atlanta Hawks in overtime, with a final score of 119-118. However, this game featured more players who are expected to be in the rotation.

Bam Adebayo, Dru Smith, Andrew Wiggins, and Norman Powell were named in the starting lineup after being sidelined in Sunday's game against the Orlando Magic for resting purposes. Also, Simone Fontecchio was cleared to play after missing the last three preseason games due to a lower leg injury.

The Hawks were without All-Stars Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis, along with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Zaccharie Risacher, and Dyson Daniels. Only Asa Newell, Vit Krejci, Nikola Durisic, and N'Faly Dante were the only players available from the standard roster. Jacob Toppin, Keaton, Wallace, and Eli N'Diaye also participated, all on two-way contracts, along with Caleb Houstan and Charles Bassey, who are on contract deals.

As the Heat used most of their established personnel for the majority of the game, the Hawks outplayed them and earned the win.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the matchup.

Heat; Jaime Jaquez Jr. resurgence:

Jaime Jaquez Jr. is seeking redemption coming off a difficult sophomore season. He's shown flashes of his old self in the preseason, but last night may have solidified all hope. The 24-year-old forward finished with 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a block in 26 minutes of action. Jaquez Jr. was playing with tremendous confidence, something Heat fans saw a lot of during his rookie season.

The organization selected him with the 18th pick in the 2023 draft. He was viewed as a potential steal. If Jaquez Jr. manages to take a massive leap this season, it will be a tremendous boost to the bench unit.

Heat; Lack of fit?:

Last night's game was the first time this year that Adebayo and Kel'el Ware started alongside each other. The Heat used the double-big lineup in the second half of last season. However, Ware wasn't his dominant self as he had displayed throughout the preseason. He finished with six points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Ware will not be among the top options in the Heat's regular offense. However, the 21-year-old needs to learn ways to impact winning in a limited role. It's no secret that Erik Spoelstra has been demanding more from him.

The Heat expect Ware to take another leap this season, along with other younger pieces, to lead the team into contention. 

Heat; three-point slugfest:

The Heat were horrendous from behind the arc, making only five of 34 three-point attempts for the game as a team. In a league where three-point shooting is nearly the gold standard for winning a championship, they were lucky that the Hawks' third-stringers weren't as great either, making 12 of 48.

Powell did finish with 17 points, four rebounds, two steals, and an assist in 28 minutes of action. However, his efficiency was horrendous. The 32-year-old shot 28.6 percent from the field. Powell had the most three-point attempts out of everyone on the team, seven, but only made two.

The Heat acquired the veteran to help boost their offense. An off-night when they will be without All-Star guard Tyler Herro for the early portion of the regular season isn't affordable.

Heat; giving away points:

The Heat didn't turn the ball over more by a drastic margin, 19 to 16, but the Hawks did a better job at converting. They scored 28 points off turnovers. The Heat is an organization with defense as part of its foundation, but it didn't hold up in transition during last night's game.

The Hawks' younger group showed tons of resilience and hustle. They were playing with an urgency to make a name for themselves and in an attempt to carve out regular rotation minutes.

Hawks; fighting for careers:

The Hawks, who were on the floor, took full advantage of their opportunities with higher playing time.

Toppin, the younger brother of Obi Toppin, went for an unofficial career-type of night. He finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and a steal. The 25-year-old is one of the three Hawks players on a two-way contract.

Bassey was active on the boards, finishing with 17 rebounds, an unofficial new career high. He also recorded seven rebounds, five blocks, two steals, and an assist.

Houstan went off for 21 points, along with five three-pointers made, including one in overtime to seal the win for the Hawks. The former Magic forward is currently on a training camp deal, looking to earn a roster spot.

The Heat will have another set of extra days before their next game, on Friday, against the Memphis Grizzlies at home. It will be the team's final chance to win a game in the preseason before their official regular season opener against the Orlando Magic five days later.

Anthony Pasciolla is a contributing writer to Heat Roundtable. He can be reached via email at ampasciolla@gmail.com, or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.