Bam Adebayo Suffers Knee Injury, Out for Heat vs. Hawks Preseason Game

Wins and losses don't matter during the NBA preseason, but player health certainly does.

And that was a concern for the Miami Heat during Monday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. Miami announced big man Bam Adebayo exited the game with a right knee contusion and will not return.

Adebayo was initially ruled as questionable to return, and the team surely used an element of caution seeing how it was a preseason game.

Miami needs Adebayo healthy during the regular season, though, if it is going to challenge in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

The three-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive selection is arguably the team's best player on both ends of the floor. What's more, Tyler Herro is sidelined by injury and expected to miss the start of the regular season.

If the Heat were missing Herro and Adebayo, they would be far less explosive and much easier to defend.

Adebayo averaged 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game last season while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from deep. There is no other frontcourt player on the roster who can replicate his impact, although the Heat would likely rely more on the combination of Nikola Jović and Kel'el Ware if he is sidelined.

Miami starts the regular season on Oct. 22 against the Orlando Magic.