Bam Adebayo urged the Miami Heat to stay confident despite their 0-4 start, dismissing concerns about his offensive struggles and saying he would not overthink his shooting slump.
Adebayo scored eight points on 3-of-10 shooting, including 0-of-5 from three-point range, as Miami lost 113-109 to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. The defeat left the Heat winless through four games, marking the fifth time in franchise history they have opened a season 0-4.
“Can’t overthink basketball, man,” Adebayo said after the game. “For me, it’s my shot not going in. I’m not going to overthink that.”
The Heat big man also addressed the criticism surrounding his performance, describing himself as a scapegoat amid the team’s difficult start.
“It’s funny how the outside noise wants to make me the scapegoat,” Adebayo said. “But, you know, we’re going to win. When the tables turn, just all that energy, when the energy shifts, just be prepared for that.”
Adebayo emphasized that continuing to shoot was the simplest way to work through the slump. He noted that his attempts had been falling long or short rather than missing consistently to either side.
“Keep shooting. That’s the simplest thing,” he said. “You don’t want to overthink this because then you’re getting even more of a slump.”
The 29-year-old also explained that he has been taking more three-pointers this season and that the team’s offensive approach requires him to take open shots rather than hesitate.
“When it comes to the first line and the offense and all that, you know, we just make it simple. You’re open, you got to shoot it. We don’t feel like we’re going to get a better shot,” Adebayo said. “So, you know, we’ll figure it out. I’m not too worried about it.”
Asked about the team’s struggles in the half court, Adebayo pointed instead to defensive issues and opponents’ second chances.
“For us, it’s second-chance points they get. It’s the offensive rebounding. It’s the airspace threes that we got to close out,” he said. “If we take care of those type of areas, we’ll be all right.”
Adebayo also pushed back against the outside discussion surrounding his relationship with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who recorded 29 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists against Dallas.
“No, I mean, the media going to be the media,” Adebayo said. “They’re going to try to bury you when you’re down, but then it’s quiet when you’re up. So, you expect that from the media.”
Despite Miami’s record, Adebayo said he would rather deal with the adversity early in the season than later.
“We’re 0-4 right now. I’d rather it be right now than this be midway through the season or in April,” he said.
The Heat will look to earn their first win when they visit the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
