Bam Adebayo is not OK with taking the blame for the Miami Heat’s brutal 0-4 start to the season.
The Heat star, after the team fell 113-109 to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, said he feels singled out for the franchise’s struggles — especially after they landed Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster deal this past offseason.
“You know, it’s funny how the outside noise wants to make me the scapegoat,” Adebayo said, via ESPN. “But when the tables turn, just all that energy, when the energy shifts, just be prepared for that.”
Though it’s not fair to put all of the blame on Adebayo, he has struggled in the early stretch of the season. Adebayo is averaging just 11.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, and is only shooting 16.7% from the 3-point line. He had just eight points and went 3-of-10 on Monday night, and missed all five of his attempts from behind the arc.
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, had a triple-double with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.
By comparison, Adebayo averaged 20.1 points and 10 rebounds per game last season. He even dropped 83 points in a single game in March, which is the second-most scored by a player in a single contest in NBA history. Only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962 sits ahead of him on that list.
For now, Adebayo said his struggles are simply because his shot is not going in. It’s nothing more.
"I got expectations for myself, but, obviously, the outside noise got expectations for us," he said. "So for me, I know what I'm capable of. I'm not going to overthink that. We're 0-4 right now. I'd rather it be right now than this be midway through the season or in April. Because what if we go on a 10-game winning streak? Then how does the noise change?"
The Heat will take on the Atlanta Hawks next on Wednesday. A loss there would match their worst start since the 2007-08 campaign. The Heat also currently hold the worst record in the league, though four other franchises are also still searching for their first win.
Miami still has time to figure out how all the pieces work together now that Antetokounmpo is in the mix. Bam’s numbers falling from last season seemed inevitable after the trade. But so far, it’s not been a good start.
"It's not just Bam, it's everybody," Antetokounmpo said. "You know, everybody — we try to figure out where we fit in and what we gotta do. Kind of try to not step on our toes."