MIA 143, ATL 117: Adebayo Has Monster Night: 64 ESPN FP
Destiny Williams
Math Teacher & Basketball Coach ยท Atlanta Hawks fan
Heat Rolled Through Atlanta Like We Owed Them Money
Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. My Hawks got absolutely worked, 143-117, and it wasn't even close. Miami came to State Farm Arena and did exactly what an All-Defensive team does when they're locked in. But here's what matters for your fantasy lineup: there were some real gems hiding in this blowout, and we need to talk about them.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bam Adebayo | 64.0 | 56.5 | 25/10/3 | 20.0/10.0/3.2 | +5.0 |
| Buddy Hield | 55.0 | 41.1 | 31/3/3 | 7.2/2.3/1.4 | +23.8 |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | 44.0 | 34.7 | 26/1/5 | 15.2/5.1/4.7 | +10.8 |
| Norman Powell | 37.0 | 33.4 | 25/2/2 | 21.7/3.5/2.5 | +3.3 |
| Asa Newell | 31.0 | 33.0 | 17/10/2 | 4.9/2.0/0.6 | +12.1 |
| Tyler Herro | 25.0 | 29.0 | 5/10/8 | 21.0/4.6/4.0 | -16.0 |
| Kel'el Ware | 32.0 | 27.9 | 16/7/1 | 11.0/9.0/0.7 | +5.0 |
| Keshad Johnson | 34.0 | 27.3 | 12/4/3 | 4.0/1.9/0.2 | +8.0 |
| Keshon Gilbert | 30.0 | 26.7 | 11/1/9 | 2.0/1.7/1.0 | +9.0 |
| Zaccharie Risacher | 27.0 | 26.3 | 11/9/3 | 9.5/3.8/1.1 | +1.5 |
The Buddy Hield Explosion Nobody Saw Coming
Real talk, I don't even know what Buddy Hield was doing on the floor for 21 minutes when my Hawks were getting blown out, but he absolutely went off. 31 points on 12-18 shooting with 7 threes? That's +23.8 versus his season average of 7.2 PPG. This wasn't a "guy got some garbage time buckets" situation either. His shooting was clean.
Here's the thing though: Buddy is averaging 7.2 points. This was a game-specific explosion, not a pivot point. Don't go adding him to your core thinking he's found something. But if you were shopping him on the waiver wire and someone got desperate, you might've snagged a guy who can have one of these nights. For tonight, though? He won straight up. Just don't expect 31 points again soon.
Bam Did What Bam Does
Bam Adebayo is that glue guy I'm always talking about. All-Defensive Second Team caliber player who doesn't need 35 points to win you a week. 25/10/3 with 3 steals and 2 blocks on 11-18 shooting? That's +5.0 from his 20/10/3.2 average, and honestly, that's perfect. He didn't explode, but he executed. Controlled the glass, found his spots, played defense.
If you own Bam and got 56.5 Yahoo points, you're taking that and moving on. Consistent, reliable fantasy production. This is what you pay for.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. Is Sneaky Good
Jaime Jaquez Jr. put up 26 points on 12-17 shooting and +10.8 from his season average. The assists and rebounds weren't special, but he was efficient and that's money in fantasy. Most people don't think of him as a scoring threat because his season average is 15.2, but he's sitting right there at +10.8 tonight. That's a player who's getting better looks in winning situations.
The Asa Newell Wrinkle
Here's where I get interested from a coaching perspective. Asa Newell played 38 minutes and dropped 17/10/1 with a block. This is a 4.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG guy, and he came in with +12.1 in points and +8.0 in rebounds. That's massive. The kid got run because the game got out of hand early, but he produced while he had the chance.
Asa isn't a league-winner, but if you're in a 14+ team league and need depth, this performance tells you he can contribute when minutes exist. The question is whether he keeps getting 38-minute opportunities or if this was just blowout basketball. Probably the latter, but monitor it.
Tyler Herro Laid An Egg
On the flip side, Tyler Herro came into this game at 21.0 PPG and put up 5/10/8. That's -16.0 on points. Only 22 minutes played, so it wasn't a full game to tank him, but 2-9 shooting when you're supposed to be a bucket? That hurt. The assists and rebounds saved him from being a total disaster (29 Yahoo FP is still respectable), but this is not what you drafted him for.
Not panic time, but worth noting. Sometimes players just have rough nights against good defenses.
The Keshon Gilbert Assist Spike
This one's wild because Keshon is a 2.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG guy and he walked out with 11 assists. That's +8.0 from his season average. 9 dimes from a guy who averages 1.0? That's either a garbage time artifact or a sign that something shifted in the rotation. Look, he played 25 minutes and forced passes because the game was out of hand, but this doesn't mean he's your next point guard sleeper. Floor general minutes don't translate.
What We're Taking Away
Miami beat up on Atlanta in a blowout where role players got exposed and Heat players got more touches. Bam was the story, Buddy had the night of his life, and Jaime looked competent. That's it. That's the game.
For waiver moves, you don't need to do anything. The Hawks' bench guys who cooked tonight aren't suddenly fantasy viable. The Heat's production was what you'd expect from a team dominating at home.
This is literally just a loss. Move on to the next one.