Adebayo Says Critics Have Made Him the Scapegoat for Heat's 0-4 Start

Miami Heat captain Bam Adebayo says he has become a target for the team's slow start to the season. After the Heat dropped to 0-4 with a 113-109 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, Adebayo argued that critics outside the locker room have turned him into "the scapegoat."

Adebayo finished with eight points on 3-of-10 shooting and missed all five of his 3-point attempts. He said he is not going to dwell on the misses. "Can't overthink basketball," he said, pointing to his shot not falling. He also warned that the mood around him could change quickly: "When the energy shifts, just be prepared for that."

Through four games, Adebayo is averaging 11.8 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 40% overall and 16.7% from beyond the arc. A modest drop in his production had been anticipated after Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo in a major offseason trade.

Adebayo stressed that the season is young and said he believes the Heat will reach their own high standards. He suggested that an early slump is preferable to one later in the year. "I'd rather it be right now than this be midway through the season or in April," he said, asking how the noise would change if the team went on a 10-game winning streak.

Asked whether playing alongside Antetokounmpo is affecting his game, Adebayo repeatedly pointed back to his shooting. He said he is simply taking more 3-pointers this year, and that when they start to fall, "we'll see a shift."

Coach Erik Spoelstra backed his captain, saying the three-time All-Star "just needs to see the ball go in." Spoelstra said Adebayo had good, clean looks that he could not convert, and that the staff will work with him to find ways to be aggressive from spots where he is comfortable.

The problems extend beyond one player. According to ESPN Research, Monday marked the third time this season that Antetokounmpo was the only Miami starter with a positive true net rating in a game. Antetokounmpo, who recorded his first triple-double as a member of the Heat in the loss, said the entire roster is still adjusting. "It's not just Bam, it's everybody," he said, adding that players are trying to find where they fit without stepping on one another.

Guard Davion Mitchell said Adebayo needs to be "more aggressive" on offense, but he expects the pairing with Antetokounmpo to work in time. Mitchell said he has to do a better job of keeping Adebayo involved, and he noted that the two big men tend to operate in the same spaces on the floor, which will take some getting used to.

Miami is off to its worst start since it lost its first five games of the 2007-08 season. The Heat visit the Hawks on Wednesday and host the Pacers on Friday, then begin a five-game West Coast trip next Monday against the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Spoelstra said the group has the toughness to handle adversity and will keep working together. "The league isn't going to bail us out, so it's up to us to change it," he said.