MIA 124, BKN 98: Adebayo Wreaks Havoc With 67 ESPN FP
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Heat Cruise Past Nets in Blowout, Bam Takes Over Fantasy Landscape
The Heat rolled into Brooklyn and reminded everyone why they're still a problem, running away with a 124-98 win that wasn't nearly as close as the final score suggests. For fantasy purposes, this game matters less for who showed up and more for who showed OUT, because Miami put on a clinic that has serious implications for your waiver wire right now.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bam Adebayo | 67.0 | 60.8 | 23/9/4 | 18.7/9.9/2.9 | +4.3 |
| Kel'el Ware | 43.0 | 40.1 | 11/13/1 | 11.3/9.5/0.6 | -0.3 |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | 38.0 | 37.0 | 20/5/4 | 15.1/5.3/4.5 | +4.9 |
| Andrew Wiggins | 40.0 | 35.4 | 13/7/4 | 16.0/5.1/2.8 | -3.0 |
| Tyler Herro | 27.0 | 27.6 | 22/3/2 | 21.1/4.2/3.4 | +0.9 |
| Noah Clowney | 26.0 | 27.4 | 17/7/0 | 12.8/4.1/1.7 | +4.2 |
| Day'Ron Sharpe | 30.0 | 25.6 | 10/8/4 | 8.5/6.7/2.3 | +1.5 |
| Danny Wolf | 27.0 | 25.5 | 11/5/5 | 8.9/4.7/2.2 | +2.1 |
| Ziaire Williams | 24.0 | 25.2 | 16/1/2 | 9.3/2.4/0.9 | +6.7 |
| Nic Claxton | 24.0 | 23.5 | 4/5/3 | 12.5/7.1/4.0 | -8.5 |
Bam Just Reminded Everyone He's Still That Guy
Look, Bam Adebayo has had a solid season by most standards, but he came out of the tunnel Tuesday night looking like he heard someone question his max contract. 60.8 Yahoo points on 23/9/4 with six steals in 34 minutes? That's the two-way monster version of Bam we signed up for when he got paid. The +4.3 points over his season average doesn't even tell the story because he was efficient (11-24 FG) and ran the floor with 6 steals. That steal total is the kind of number that pops up maybe once every 10 games for a center. Don't overreact to one night, but if someone's been fading Bam in your league based on consistency concerns, tonight's a reminder he can flip a switch.
The Kel'el Ware Situation Just Got Interesting
Kel'el Ware is the kind of name that gets glossed over in waiver wire threads because he's not a household name, but that 13-rebound performance in just 29 minutes while barely moving the needle in scoring (11 points) tells you everything about what Miami values him for. The rebounding was +3.5 over his average. That's a real projection shift, especially in a blowout where he got heavy minutes and didn't have to overextend himself. In 12-team leagues, Ware's hitting the add wire for sure. The Nets couldn't contain the Heat's frontcourt depth, and Ware was proof that Miami's got multiple looks down low.
Andrew Wiggins Actually Struggled, Don't Panic Yet
I'm not gonna sugarcoat this, Andrew Wiggins had a rough one. 13 points on 5-9 shooting doesn't scream bad, but the -3.0 from his season average combined with only 4 assists from a wing who's supposed to run your offense is the kind of night that makes you nervous. The good news? He was on a team that got absolutely walked, and when you're down 20 with eight minutes left, you're not exactly getting rhythm touches. This is a "context matters" situation. Hold him. One bad night in a blowout loss doesn't change what we know about his role.
The Waiver Wire Tell
Three names jumped out as adds that matter. Jaime Jaquez Jr. went for 37 Yahoo points on efficient shooting (6-13 FG, 6-8 FT) and showed he can carry scoring load when the Heat need it. If you're in an 8-team league and someone's still sleeping on Jaquez, grab him. Noah Clowney went off for the Nets with 27.4 Yahoo points on 17 points and solid rebounding, but here's the thing: he's playing for a team that's clearly tanking and got absolutely worked. Don't read too much into one good game in a blowout for a bad team. Ziaire Williams was a glitch tonight, hitting 8 free throws and 2 threes from 22 minutes, putting up 25.2 Yahoo points. Again, Nets blowout, gotta be careful with Vegas scripts like this.
Bottom Line
This was a coaching clinic that turned into a fantasy gift for Heat holders. Bam proved he's still dangerous, Jaquez showed some equity in that offense, and the supporting cast reminded us Miami's got more depth than people think. For the Nets? This was pain. Nic Claxton looked cooked for most of the night (8.5 points under his average), Michael Porter Jr. couldn't get anything to fall (9 points on 3-17 FG), and the whole thing felt like Brooklyn's tanking strategy playing out in real time.
The real fantasy play here is believing the Heat when they click on both ends. If you've been selling low on Miami guys, might be time to reconsider. This team can still put defenses in a blender when they want to.