The Miami Heat’s preseason has hit another concerning note as star center Bam Adebayo exited Monday’s game with a knee injury. The incident occurred during the third quarter and prevented him from returning to the court, adding to the team’s growing injury concerns ahead of the new season.

According to a report from Barry Jackson on X, the injury is not considered serious. “Heat’s Bam Adebayo did not need an MRI on his knee. It’s a contusion; nothing serious…” The team has two remaining preseason events, including a charity scrimmage on Wednesday and a final preseason game against Memphis on Friday.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra confirmed the team’s cautious approach with their franchise player. “He just landed awkwardly, but he says he feels fine,” Spoelstra told reporters after the game. The coach explained his decision to keep Adebayo sidelined for the remainder of the exhibition was purely precautionary to ensure the injury didn’t worsen.

The injury occurred during Adebayo’s first time playing alongside rookie Kel’el Ware, showcasing a new frontcourt pairing for Miami. The Heat are already playing without guard Tyler Herro, who is expected to miss extended time despite an unconfirmed report from a Hawks announcer suggesting a possible return for the season opener. Rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis also missed Monday’s game with right hip soreness. Miami currently holds a 0-5 record in preseason play.

Before exiting, the Heat captain had compiled 13 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes of action. Adebayo has been remarkably durable throughout his career, playing in over 70 games in each of the last three regular seasons.

Miami Heat continues its preseason schedule with Wednesday’s Red, White & Pink charity scrimmage at Kaseya Center. Their preseason finale comes Friday night at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. The team opens the regular season on October 22nd in Orlando, with Adebayo expected to be healthy for that matchup barring any setbacks.

Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware may not be the ideal pair

Judging by Miami’s preseason lineups it is clear that the Heat have avoided pairing Kel’el Ware with Bam Adebayo until now. The only time they shared the court was an overtime loss to Atlanta when Nikola Jović sat out with back stiffness and Adebayo exited in the second half with a knee contusion. Preseason games are meant for experimenting with rotations yet Coach Spoelstra has largely kept Ware and Adebayo apart.

Last season the two bigs registered a plus-minus of just plus-3 when playing together without Tyler Herro and Alec Burks on the floor. Both Adebayo and Ware possess shooting range in theory but Adebayo has never consistently knocked down threes and Ware prefers activity over simply spacing the floor.

Staggering the duo gives Ware more freedom to set screens cut to the rim and patrol the dunker’s spot. When playing alongside Adebayo, Ware made 59.3 percent of his two-point attempts compared with 64.6 percent when he was on the floor without him. Separating the two is not a sustainable long-term plan because it forces Adebayo to cover more ground around the basket and defend bigger frontline assignments.

Adebayo is most dangerous defensively when he can roam off the ball and showcase his mobility rather than stay camped in the paint. The eventual return of Tyler Herro in November could balance out the frontcourt by pairing both bigs with an All-Star guard and veteran scorer Norman Powell. Until star guard depth returns Miami will likely continue staggering Ware and Adebayo in search of the best rotation for both the present season and beyond.