East Notes: Heat, Bam Adebayo, Knicks, Magic, Desmond Bane

Entering last year, Heat power forward Bam Adebayo looked ready to add a new wrinkle to his game with an actual three-point shot. He hit 79 triples after making just nine in his career before March 2024.

But as relayed by ESPN’s Zach Kram, the rest of Adebayo’s offense fell off. His true shooting percentage dropped to a career-low 56%, marking four straight years of decline. He posted a career-worst free-throw rate, struggled at the rim, and was among the league’s least efficient post-up players.

With Norman Powell — who led the league in points per touch — joining Tyler Herro in the backcourt, Miami’s guards should be fine.

The Heat’s frontcourt, though, needs a bounce-back from Bam to get back into the East mix.

• Knicks starters weren’t all that: The group of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns logged 940 regular-season minutes together, the most in the league by far. But as Kram notes, the results didn’t match the hype. Their plus-3.2 net rating was actually below average compared to other top-heavy lineups, which posted a plus-5.0 average. In the playoffs, that number sank to minus-6.2, forcing New York to lean on bench-heavy lineups with Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride. With Mike Brown taking over and Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele added to the bench, expect more mixing and matching this year. But the starting five can’t just play less — they have to play better if New York wants its first Finals appearance since the ’90s.

• Orlando’s offensive drought continues: Kram points out that the Magic haven’t had a top-half offense since 2012 — the Dwight Howard era. Since then, their offensive efficiency rankings read like a lottery ticket: 27th, 29th, 27th, 17th, 28th, 25th, 22nd, 21st, 29th, 30th, 26th, 22nd, 26th. Maybe 2026 is the year. Desmond Bane finally gives Orlando the shooting it’s long lacked, and if Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero stay healthy, the scoring should at least be average. With a defense that already has top-tier potential, even a middle-of-the-pack offense might make Orlando a legitimate contender.