The Miami Heat’s rough start got another layer of frustration Friday night, and Bam Adebayo didn’t shy away from the conversation after it. With Miami dropping its fourth straight to open the season, 113-109 at home to the Dallas Mavericks, Adebayo addressed both his shooting slump and the criticism building around him.
The Heat got a big night from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who posted 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists while going 12-for-23 from the field. But Adebayo’s night told a very different story. He finished with eight points, eight rebounds, and three assists, shot 3-for-10 overall, and missed all five of his three-point tries.
Asked whether part of the issue was figuring out how to mesh with a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Adebayo pushed back on the idea that he’s overcomplicating things.
“No, you can’t overthink basketball, man,” Adebayo said when asked whether part of his struggles includes figuring out how to play with a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He went further, taking aim at the outside chatter around his slow start.
“For me, it’s my shot not going in. I’m not going to overthink that.
It’s funny how the outside noise wants to make me the scapegoat. But when the tables turn and the energy shifts, just be prepared for that.”
Bam Adebayo boldly added.
Adebayo said the answer is to keep firing.
“Keep shooting like that. That’s the simplest thing,” Adebayo added about how he plans to deal with a shooting slump.
He also explained why he isn’t looking to reinvent his approach.
“As I said, you don’t want to overthink this, because then you’re getting even more of a slump. Keep shooting the basketball.
All my shots are either long or short. Now, if they were left or right, it would be a bit different.
But they’re long or short, so keep shooting the basketball,” he concluded.
The numbers back up the slump. Through four games, Adebayo has already had two single-digit scoring nights. He’s averaging 11.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 40.0% from the field and 16.7% from three, a clear drop from his usual efficiency.
Miami’s coaching staff and teammates said the fix starts with getting him into better rhythm. Erik Spoelstra said after the game, “He just needs to see the ball go in,” and added, “He had some good clean looks; he just wasn’t able to capitalize on them. We’ll work together to get him aggressive in the spots he’s comfortable.”
Davion Mitchell echoed that Adebayo needs more touches and more force in his game.
“I think I got to do a better job of not letting him get lost in the game,” Mitchell said at the postgame press conference. “He got to be more aggressive. I think that he will.”
He also pointed to the fit with Giannis Antetokounmpo as part of the adjustment.
“He’s still, I think, trying to figure it out because I said this before: I think he and Giannis play in the same spaces, and then when Giannis is on the floor, he’s on the floor. He can’t be in those spaces, but it’s something to get used to.”
For now, Adebayo says he’s not interested in pressing. He believes the shots will come back, and he made it clear he’s not backing away from them.
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Amid that uneven opening, some analysts have kicked around a far bigger shakeup involving Adebayo and Tim Hardaway Jr. for Karl-Anthony Towns. It is only speculation at this point, but the fact that such an idea is even being floated says plenty about how urgently the Heats early-season problems are being viewed, and how much attention any possible frontcourt answer is going to draw from here. [Read more 🡒]