Miami's Defense Is the Problem as Giannis Says the Heat Don't Trust Each Other
ESPN reports Miami has been outscored by 53 points through 10 games, with the 25th-ranked defense. Giannis Antetokounmpo named trust as the issue.
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Key takeaways
- Per ESPN, the Heat are 4-6 through 10 games, outscored by 53 points, with the league's 25th-ranked defense.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo said the team does not trust one another, and Erik Spoelstra said reputation is not enough.
- Opponents take a league-worst 20.5 open threes per game against Miami and hit 39.4 percent, third-highest in the league.
- Miami's offense ranks 20th, though it is the league's most efficient on on-ball screens, which it runs the fewest.
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Miami Heat Defense Struggles After Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade
ESPN reports the Heat are 4-6 through 10 games and have been outscored by 53 points. Miami's defense ranks 25th even with Antetokounmpo, a former Defensive Player of the Year, Bam Adebayo, and Andrew Wiggins on the roster. In four of the first seven games, the Heat allowed 125 or more points, including 138 in a loss to the Lakers.
Right now, we don't trust one another.
Opponents shoot 39.4 percent from three against Miami and take a league-worst 20.5 open threes per game, ESPN reported. Antetokounmpo said players fail to close out because they do not trust help behind them. Coach Erik Spoelstra said the team will not use time as an excuse, and added that the league is not waiting.
Offensively, Miami ranks 20th. ESPN reports the Heat have the most efficient offense in the league when they run on-ball screens but run the fewest, 22.3 per game. After an 0-4 start they ran 57 in a win over Atlanta.
Our Read: Is This a Fixable Problem for Miami
This is our reading of ESPN's reporting and not a stated cause.
- The shot profile points at habits. A league-worst open-three count is more about rotations and closeouts than individual talent, which matches what Antetokounmpo described. That is fixable in principle, but it takes repetitions.
- Reputation is not a scheme. The roster has award-winning defenders, yet the team ranks 25th. Spoelstra's own words suggest the staff agrees that the names are not doing the work.
- The offense gives a clue. The best efficiency on screens, with the lowest volume, hints at a style question. A new spacing approach can take time, so the numbers may improve, but the evidence is thin.
- Ten games is a small sample. A 53-point deficit is meaningful, but an early season can swing on a few lineups. Evidence points both ways on whether this is a real flaw or growing pains.
What to Watch for the Heat Next
- Miami's open three-point rate allowed over its next five games.
- Whether the Heat keep running more on-ball screens after the Atlanta game.
- How Klay Thompson and Antetokounmpo are used in lineups when the defense breaks down.
- The visit of the Bucks on Nov. 18, Antetokounmpo's former team, per ESPN's schedule.
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