As the Miami Heat started their season 0-4, their captain Bam Adebayo had been one of the team's least effective players.

The struggles were particularly acute when he shared the floor with the superstar who was supposed to pair with him to make Miami a contender. Through Adebayo's first 71 minutes with Giannis Antetokounmpo, they posted a 105.9 offensive rating and a 132.9 defensive rating. Adebayo then acted uncharacteristically with the media, referring to himself as the "scapegoat."

Certainly, the spotlight has been hotter on him than at any time in his Heat career, even as he's gone through down stretches before. Adebayo used to have a habit of fading offensively as the season progressed, but the past two seasons it's been the opposite. He's started slow for the first two months and then gathered strength.…