What's Been Heating Up: An Offensive Breakdown into Ware-Adebayo's stretch vs the Spurs
A breakdown of the 13 minute stretch on offense involving Adebayo & Ware
What’s been heating up? Here, I’ll be breaking down what’s been going on the court and it’s digging deeper into all of that. This can be particular recent stretches, game takeaways, or player performances. It can be small or big, it doesn’t matter. What happens on the court will be broken down, and at times looking through a microscope at all the little details.
After years of many fans calling for Bam Adebayo to play with another big, Erik Spoelstra finally pulled the trigger on it to play him with Kel’el Ware. This did feel like the opportunity to do it considering the opponent and the context of the game. The San Antonio Spurs do employ an alien, so halfway through the second, being down seven, we got double big lineups.
There were two stints. The first came to end the second quarter and the next was the first half of the third(Ware started). During the first stint, in 6:21 minutes, the lineup of Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Ware, and Adebayo scored 14 points on 13 possessions and allowed two points on 12. In the third, that same lineup but replacing Rozier with Tyler Herro, they scored 22 points on 12 possessions and allowed 11 on 13. In total, they scored 36 points on 27 possessions and allowed only 13 on 25. They shot 8/18 from 2pt and 6/9 from 3pt to go along with it.
Damn. Those are some big numbers. And because of it and the run that the Heat went on, which ultimately put the game away where they didn’t look back, some big conclusions and declarations came out. But let’s pump the brakes, depending on what conclusions you came out with from this game.
If the conclusion is just being excited for the potential of it and finally having the chance to see it develop, then it makes sense. You can’t go wrong wanting more size and versatility.
But if the conclusions are such declarations that this is what’s been available to them, this is where Adebayo is unlocked or that he’s truly a four, or that the offense was great because of playing big, then that’s where the conclusions are very premature. If you looked at those numbers and just immediately see it as confirmation that Ware needs to be starting, Adebayo needs to be in his “right” position and that the offense will be good, then that’s just creating conclusions that you want without the evidence actually supporting that.
That’s why we’ll be looking at all of the possessions with those two on to see how it all worked on both ends directly because of playing a double big lineup, and not just how the offense itself played.
This will be focused on the offensive side because that has the most questions and it’s completely different to what was going on defensively. There will be a separate breakdown for the defense.
This is where the numbers don’t say much or even anything about what the double big lineups have actually done through working together, exploiting matchups, making things easier elsewhere, or exploiting the defense in any way by being there period that also wouldn’t be there if you replaced Ware with Highsmith or Jovic.
Here’s a compilation of all possessions offensively with Adebayo-Ware on in the second quarter.
And here’s the compilation of all possessions in the third:
For the most part, I don’t think they even had a chance to see how the offense could work with those when it comes to them working together because of how the game panned out. Points were scored. Actions were run. But again, if the focus is on how the offense can work with those together specifically, there weren’t many possessions to even evaluate that because of transition, early offense, or quick good looks that came up quickly elsewhere. The offense in general is not what is being analysed and evaluated.
There’s not much to go by to see where each player is spaced, how and where they move, and what actions they go to because before they even get to that point, a shot has already gone up.
That’s where these possessions came in:
What is there about a Herro transition drive or Robinson attacking that finds Ware rim run that tells anything about the double big working or not working on offense. There’s also the quick pull up from Rozier that he walks into a wide open look early. Or another pushing the pace possession that gets Robinson a look before Adebayo even manages to get into the action.
That’s 12 points on five possessions. Again putting the numbers into context if the conclusions are about both Ware-Adebayo.
Similar to these possessions that quickly flew into an action:
Or this:
A quick handoff from Adebayo to Robinson is the same thing we always see(because Miami runs on Duncan, I apologize for my premature tweet that no team should run on Duncan) that wasn’t made easier or opened up because of the double big.
Same thing in the next play. It’s the usual play with anyone(Butler, Jaquez, or Jovic) as the hub and a shooter, in this case, Herro, getting a pindown into a 3pt.
So far this is the Heat’s offense doing what they always do and they’ve done it quickly enough that there’s nothing to see if and how the double big lineup may or may not work. It’s all just about the timing of those shots happening so fast that there isn’t enough time to see what the defense would do.
Now, let’s get to the halfcourt and when the defense was more set to focus entirely on where and what both Ware and Adebayo are. The main point of looking at these possessions is to see how each of them can work together on offense with who’s involved most directly in the action and what the off-ball player does.
That’s the most important part. It’s seeing what Adebayo does if Ware is involved in the PNR and vice versa for Ware. Are they spacing in the corner, on the wings, or in the dunker spot? How is the defense treating them? What counters are there to whatever the defense throws at them?
Both were in similar spots when they weren’t involved in the action. They both had their share of being involved as the screener versus the spacer.
Here’s Adebayo away from the ball when he’s not directly involved:
A lot of it is him being spaced on the weak side and just standing there, with a cut to crash the glass.
This was also what Ware looked like:
This is where all of the questions can come up with the double big on the offensive end. The actions that they run with either Ware or Adebayo remain the same. A lot of the actions remain the same. There isn’t a lot that both of them give you something that you couldn’t do when you only had one. A lot of it is just about the second big being an off-ball player and how he does it. That is what will likely determine how viable it is.
So, let’s go through almost all of the possessions
The first possession with those two on:
It’s a quick Herro-Ware PNR with Ware rolling into a single tag side, where Rozier is in the corner taking his defender away, which sets up Ware for the lob. Good, usual action. The Herro-Ware connection has been there for some time now.
When it comes to Adebayo, he started in the strong side corner and just drifted around there. The immediate difference is that it puts Adebayo away from being the screener and being guarded by a non-big. In theory, that is what the difference maker should be, but how much of a difference maker it is, depends entirely on Adebayo with how he’s used, where he’s spaced, and the ability to even punish the mismatch.
Another action with Ware directly being involved with Rozier that ends up taking the pop 3pt. Adebayo again is stationed in the weakside corner away from everything just standing around, then looking to crash the glass(this is similar to what we’ve seen in the first Magic game)
This is the first play here where see Adebayo being the beneficiary of playing with a double big lineup:
With Ware running ahead, Wembanyama has to cover him and then continue to have him as the matchup. That means the next biggest body(Barnes) to kick the cross match away that Adebayo had against Jones.
Now, this is Adebayo’s first possession being directly involved. It’s an isolation in the post versus Barnes, which is drawing a dig, and that opens up a kick to Rozier.
With Ware, he’s now the one spaced in the corner with Butler also cutting inside to set a pin in screen for him. That’s turning him into being used as the corner spot-up shooter. But we can also see that Wemby doesn’t really care and is prioritising to be around the paint to help if Adebayo gets to the rim(he has the spin to the rim!).
This is still a look that can happen regardless of who’s in the corner.
We also had Adebayo in his usual role bringing up the ball and being involved the actions the same as always:
It’s Robinson coming off a pindown from Ware into a PNR with Adebayo. That goes nowhere, so they quickly flow into a Butler-Adebayo action that even more quickly gets swung for Robinson to attack off the catch and find Adebayo on the lob. This is all standard for the Heat’s offense.
Looking specifically at Ware, after he sets the pindown, he’s again spaced in the weakside corner with Wemby helping off to have at least a foot in the paint. His presence there is likely what stopped the potential lob pass initially on the PNR:
Even when Robinson looked to attack the other side, Wemby is still sitting around the paint.
We have a highlight play next:
This is another instance where Adebayo has a clear size advantage versus Barnes because Wemby was on Ware(but matters less because of what Adebayo has also shown throughout the years against smaller mismatches). They quickly flow into an Adebayo post-up. Questionable spacing, though to have both Butler and Ware spaced basically one pass away close to each other.
Butler’s defender is digging down(as he should because why is Butler the one there) and Wemby is completely ignoring Ware again to help inside. Though, I also question why the necessarily aggressive double from Wemby, too. Based on Adebayo’s scoring this year, that shouldn’t be a situation that warrants that defense. But again, we’re seeing Adebayo directly involved with Ware getting helped off.
Teams will live with that shot. He can make all of those shots and the decision to help off will be the right one every single time. This is Adebayo collapsing the defense in the paint, which is objectively a good thing. You want players that can have that pressure. But that in itself isn’t the only thing that’s needed to take advantage of it. This can also be seen as just a team playing off a player to take away the rim, which is the only thing that’s dangerous.
Almost the exact play next:
Pretty much the same thing, just a different setup. We do have better spacing with DUNCAN one pass away and Rozier next to him, which eliminates the potential dig and opens up the space at the top. Adebayo then has the clean lane to attack.
But we also see the exact way Wemby is treating Ware. Completely ignores and forces Adebayo to make the read versus an aggressive double. This is going to feel a lot like the PJ Tucker situation in those scenarios because even WHEN Adebayo makes that pass and Ware hits it, that’s still the better option — a reminder Tucker shot 41.5% on 4.9 3s per 100. He made 2.0 3s per 100 in the 2022 season and in the playoffs, he shot 45.1% on 5.1, making 2.3 per 100. Even in Philadelphia, he took 7.1!
This next play was interesting because neither was involved in the action:
Rozier brings up the ball with some screening from Butler to Robinson to set up a Robinson-Butler PNR(an interesting tidbit in itself with Butler doing a lot more screening in this game). The defense was so confused as to do what to do — do you give up the switch on Butler? Or do you look to take away Robinson’s space? They were too afraid of the former, and so space opened up for the 3pt.
As for Adebayo and Ware. Adebayo spaced in the weakside corner as usual and Ware is in the dunker spot on the other side. But again both defenders have almost a foot in the paint ready. They are ready for whatever comes in the paint or if Butler had an ISO.
The upside here, though is what could happen with Wembanyama. That’s the upside of having Ware in the dunker, if Butler does draw the defense on the slip or Robinson attacks. That would draw Wemby and open up a cut on the dunker. That would be perfect and ideally what you’d want to happen. That’s the benefit of having a 7fter with a wild leaping ability to catch lobs.
The issue comes with Adebayo on the other side getting ignored and if that’s a different defender than Barnes, their presence could blow things up, which would force Adebayo to punish the defense.
This was almost another play with neither being involved, though Adebayo was at the top looking to set a screen or get the ball versus a mismatch but…:
It starts with a Robinson-Butler-Adebayo PNR with Ware spacing on the weak side wing. Butler looked to slip, but again we have Wemby showing potential help. We just ignore what happens next on-ball(A Rozier dribble show). The thing that will constantly stand out is how Ware is treated, though — Wemby just floating around the paint.
These are multiple possessions where Ware is simply Haywood Highsmith. He’s not in a position to use his size advantage, so what difference is Ware being used like this and simply having Highsmith? If you’re going to have a 7-fter, use him like he’s 7ft.
This is another important possession because it’s Butler having the ball with both Ware and Adebayo away from it. That matters because Butler is a post-heavy guy who wants to live in the paint, so the question will be how can that work with the other two away?
Butler looks to post up against Paul with the side cleared, but he’s immediately seeing help from Wemby off Ware one pass away. Wemby is sitting at the free-throw line waiting. You also have Barnes 2.9ing away from Adebayo in the dunker on the opposite end. Advantage gets killed and the ball gets swung.
It flows into Robinson-Ware PNR, as Adebayo makes a relocation cut across the baseline, but now when the kick is made for Butler to attack off the catch, he’s driving at Barnes stunting off Adebayo in the strongside dunker and Wemby waiting at the rim.
That was it for the first half. In the second half, the Spurs did adjust and that raises a question going forward. The adjustment was simple. Put Wemby on Adebayo and Barnes on Ware.
That makes sense and it can also be enough to kill any potential advantages that you may have. Seeing as Ware is the “spacer” out of those two, he’d be the one that’s away from the ball more instead of being the one screening. You can afford to have Barnes on him then and any screens involving him, you can also switch. There is no fear of any mismatch hunting.
This is shown here:
It’s a Butler-Adebayo-Ware PNR. First, it’s just a Butler-Ware PNR, which was an easy switch. Then it’s flowing into a double screen, which had Barnes showing on Butler and Wemby switching on Ware, and Vassell switching on Butler. That whole action was taken away because of switching.
Then they flow into Robinson-Butler handoff, which again it’s a slip from Butler, but Wemby is able to make the instant decision to help off Ware(he’d have to do anyways as the last help, but the decision is made easier because of Ware’s shooting).
That whole action also would’ve been taken out by a simple switch and rotation with Wemby taking care of the slip. It was luckily saved by Vassell ball watching, and Robinson perfectly backcutting to the rim.
Similar plays gained no advantage, but points were still scored at the end.
It starts with Butler-Adebayo-Ware PNR with Vassell easily fighting over and going under. No advantage there.
That quickly flows into a stagger for Herro(great quick flow, though), but that action also gets stopped quickly with Castle fighting over well and Barnes showing.
So, now it’s a Herro-Butler PNR with both Ware and Adebayo on the weak side and it has this spacing:
Herro is able to find Butler cutting but it was away from the rim and no advantage created there. Thank god for Herro’s tough shot making because Butler just also gifted him a nice grenade.
But that’s another example where the double big with poor spacing shows up. Some will say that Ware is a good shooter, but I don’t want the only 7ft player on the team to be behind the line. That’s not where his impact is the highest. Neither is Adebayo’s, but they need to stand somewhere, especially if both are spaced on the weakside as none to low volume spacers.
We also got Butler running PNRs with Ware:
It’s a simple Butler-Ware empty side PNR and this time Adebayo spaced on the wing one pass away. But this is also where having a big does work. Now, you’re putting Barnes in the position to be in drop. Barnes is not going to do anything here to stop Butler and Ware.
If Ware is guarded by wings and it’s not just a switch, there needs to be more PNRs like this.
Also, note again where Wemby is sitting. If this wasn’t Barnes but say Mobley, that can complicate things if that’s the spacing. The counter to that could be kicking it to Adebayo and for it to flow into a handoff with Duncan.
That has already happened time and time again with the Heat’s offense. Adebayo being used as the hub by spacing has been a thing for two years and a lot this year. There have been many times where Adebayo has been popping and instead of taking the 3pt, it’s flowing into a handoff. That has a similar effect to countering nail help.
And that’s been part of the Heat’s issue where they just constantly revolve around the perimeter into handoffs.
Finally, there was this play to end the lineup:
Butler is pushing the pace and flows into a PNR with Ware. Automatic switch again(no need to have Barnes in a drop). Wemby is crossmatched with Herro because of the cut. Herro draws the closeout. Good decision from Ware to screen and slip immediately(also a great over the top pass from Herro OVER Wemby). That cut draws the defense quickly from Adebayo and this probably is a dunk or a cleaner look against 28 other teams(but Wemby is Wemby) and here it’s a floater.
So, this was the first game playing double big. The numbers are great but that’s still just a 13-minute, 27-possession sample size, that is inflated with hot shooting and some transition.
After looking at each of the possessions, still, the only conclusion about the lineup offensively is that there isn’t a conclusion. If the takeaway is that the offense was juiced and elite because they scored 46 points, sure. But it also wasn’t because of the double big lineups directly or indirectly. It didn’t necessarily open anything up and rather still created questions on many of the possessions that ended up nowhere. A reminder they shot 8/18 inside the arc in these minutes.
There wasn’t any indication of how or even whether the offense could work. There wasn’t any unlocking Adebayo as the “4” or maximising Ware as a 7fter in any different way than they did without Adebayo. I didn’t see any positive impact offensively because we finally saw Adebayo with a big. That’s not where the 36 points came from.
We saw a mix of Adebayo and Ware being involved directly in the action, with the other spaced in the weak side. We also saw on a couple of occasions neither being involved and both spaced on the weakside that caused issues. That’s still a work in progress and it will also matter a lot depending on the matchup.
But right now, after 13 minutes, I still want to see more of it. The issues are going to be there but they will never look to resolve those issues if you don’t look to play through those issues.
The bigger takeaway has to be on the defensive end, which was a lot more positive and has way more potential for upside right now. But that’s a separate breakdown in itself.
Hope you enjoyed this breakdown.