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Erik Spoelstra is unsure about where the Miami Heat go from here.
Not a lot has gone well for the Miami Heat in the month of December.
The Heat have lost eight of their last nine games, most recently being blown out 112-91 by the Toronto Raptors on December 23 at home. Following the loss, Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra had no answers for his team’s performance.
“I don’t know,” Spoelstra said. “This is not what I would have predicted. I thought we were ready.”
91 points was the lowest total the Heat have scored this season. The team lost all four quarters of the game and never led after the 9:38 mark of the second quarter.
The Heat shot 40% from the field as a team and 27% from three. They were also outrebounded by the Raptors and had more turnovers.
“I don’t even know right now,” Spoelstra said after a long pause. “It was a lifeless start. Then it just sort of felt like we were digging back the rest of the game.”
The Heat have been largely uncompetitive in many of their games during this slump. Five of the team’s last eight losses have been by double digits.
The Heat’s defense has also taken a step back. In three consecutive games, the Heat have allowed at least 112 points.
“Defense wasn’t there, defense wasn’t good,” Heat guard Norman Powell said. “Can’t get out to what we want to do if we can’t get stops.”
Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo Continues His Slump
GettyMiami Heat’s Bam Adebayo continues to struggle.
Among all of the concerning trends over the past three weeks for the Miami Heat, nothing stands out as much as the struggles of center Bam Adebayo.
Adebayo, who is the longest tenured Heat player, continues to struggle in what is arguably the coldest stretch of his career.
Adebayo finished the game with nine points and 12 rebounds on 4-11 from the field. He also went 1-3 from the free-throw line.
“We’re working on some of these things, and I have to be better for him (Adebayo),” Erik Spoelstra said. “His heart is in the right place. He wants to help the team however he can.”
Adebayo has struggled during the Heat’s losing streak, but he’s also shooting a career low 46.6% from the field on the season.
Adebayo took responsibility for the team’s struggles following a December 19 loss to the Boston Celtics.
“This kind of stretch of a season weighs on him like it would weigh on a coach,” Spoelstra said. “He carries it.”
Adebayo coming out of his recent funk is the first step to the Heat recovering their season.
Miami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. Continues Strong Season
GettyMiami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been a bright spot during a dark stretch.
While not many Miami Heat players have thrived in December, forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. has continued his strong season.
Jaquez was one of just two players, along with Simone Fontecchio, to finish the game with a positive plus/minus.
Jaquez finished with 21 points on 9-16 shooting. Jaquez now has back-to-back games with over 20 points scored.
Despite his individual success, Jaquez isn’t satisfied with the Heat’s recent performances.
“I know I could do a lot more,” Jaquez said. “There’s a lot more that I know I could bring to this team. Just got to go dig deep, find it and bring it out.”
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