To start the 2026-27 NBA season, the Miami Heat have a 3-6 record. Heat fans are justified in being disappointed because they had high expectations after trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo in the summer.
Ever since that trade, there has been a discussion about how Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo would work together. Considering they are not the best shooters, spacing would have been an issue, and due to this slow start, it has been a constant topic.
Erik Spoelstra is tired of dealing with discourse around the Heat’s stars fitting together
As the Heat’s head coach, Erik Spoelstra is the man in charge of making them fit alongside each other. When the season started, it looked like Antetokounmpo was the only one performing. Adebayo has since improved his performances, which makes their numbers look good.
Together as a duo, Adebayo and Antetokounmpo are averaging 45.9 points per game. They have done well to score points, which was seen as the big issue before the season. However, it is their defense that might be the most troubling trend.
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As individual defenders, Adebayo and Antetokounmpo are legitimately two of this generation’s best. However, that has not translated well into their time together as a duo in Miami, which is what Spoelstra wants to resolve as soon as possible.
“I just absolutely hate those discussions right now. We’re losing games because of our defense. That has to be our first, second, and third priorities. Everything else we’ll start to make some progress,” Spoelstra said about the Heat’s primary problem.
Moving forward, the Heat still have a lot of time to recover. Now, they will need to improve their defense if they want any shot of turning the season around after this nightmare start.
