NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

June 8, 2023

Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat

Practice Day

Q. Bam, the great Pat Riley once said, no rebounds, no rings. Last game, you guys were outrebounded on the defensive boards, 45 rebounds for Denver. What do you think you need to fix to alleviate that gap?

BAM ADEBAYO: Force them into difficult shots and, when they miss, get the rebound.

Q. What's it like being around Tyler right now? Where are his spirits at? Can you imagine just kind of mentally what he is going through not being able to participate at this level?

BAM ADEBAYO: Considering I've been in that position the first Finals, having to sit and watch your team go through that battle and try it figure it out without you. But I think he is in good spirits. He is definitely inching his way back.

But the biggest thing is him getting healthy, at the end of the day. We want him to be fully healthy so when he does return, if he does, we'll have that same Tyler during the season where he was being that bucket getter that we know him for.

Q. How did you get through it?

BAM ADEBAYO: How did I get through it? I mean, me personally, it was just I had to be on the court in a different way. That was me talking on the bench, me giving energy. Anything I could do that would put me as close on the court as possible.

Q. The way that Jokic shoots the ball I imagine creates some challenges for when you're deciding how hard to close, when to close short. What goes into that decision-making process for you? He got you on the pump-and-go a couple times in the last game. What goes into that decision-making process?

BAM ADEBAYO: Biggest thing is just read and react. Easier said than done, obviously. But pretty much read and react and watching film.

Q. There's been a few times throughout the Playoffs when you guys have faced some adversity, and Spo says, We're fine, we have a gnarly team. What do you think that means? Why would he say that?

BAM ADEBAYO: One, it's Spo. So that's only a Spo term.

We've been through so much this season, ups, downs, goods, bads. A lot of you in here probably never thought we would be in this position right now. So I feel like that is what he means when he says a gnarly team.

Q. Your screens are such an important part of Miami's offense. I'm wondering, does it matter who the ball handler is and how you set them? And how have you improved as a screen setter throughout your career?

BAM ADEBAYO: Watching film, watching some of the greats screen. Then obviously the way we run offense. Everybody is involved. Everybody is prepared and everybody is ready to rock. One through 5 are alive. My screens are the biggest thing to get the guy open because if he is live, I'm live, that makes everybody else live, and that is a good recipe for success.

Q. UD and Nikola Jovic, their birthdays are both on Friday. I'm curious, are you giving them the same birthday gift? How do you differentiate what you get them?

BAM ADEBAYO: I didn't even think about that. What's today? Wow, that's tomorrow. Ain't got a lot of time for that.

I don't know what I will be getting them. I'm pretty sure they're fine if we don't get them anything.

The biggest thing is we'll be playing on their birthday. Coming into this building and getting a win, I feel like they'll both be happy with that.

Q. It's not technically a must-win tomorrow, but you know the reality of what it will be like going down 3-1. How do you balance that need to say, I've got to do more, without trying to do too much or putting it all on yourself or Jimmy putting it all on him or Gabe putting it all on him? How does that balance within the framework of the team?

BAM ADEBAYO: You trust one another to do their job, and you let the chips fall where they may. You trust 1 through 5, 1 through 15. You trust the staff. Everybody has a belief that you can get that job done.

If everybody has that belief and everybody comes with the right mindset, that is how you can get it done.

Q. I know you talked about the rebounding differential earlier, but with the variety of defenses you guys play between the zones and the two on the ball and switching, how do you think about rebounding differently out of those different schemes? Do you have to change anything in terms of how you're approaching it?

BAM ADEBAYO: No. You see a person, they shoot the ball, you see who is closest to you, you box them out and everybody will run for the rebound.