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Bam Adebayo opened up about the Miami Heat’s recent struggles following a loss to the Utah Jazz.
The Miami Heat have battled issues with consistency throughout the season. Coming off a 115-11 loss to the struggling Utah Jazz, the team is looking for answers.
Heat center Bam Adebayo opened up about how the team can rally and start finding the results they’re looking for.
“Getting stops while we’re not making shots,” Adebayo said. “That’s been our biggest hurdle. When we’re making shots, we can defend anybody. When we’re missing shots, that’s when we give up back cuts, that’s when we give up the easy plays because we’re losing focus and thinking about the last play.”
The Heat’s defense struggled throughout the game against the Jazz, particularly on the glass. The Jazz finished with 15 offensive rebounds and, despite shooting just 28% from three, were able to score on second-chance opportunities.
A three-game stretch against the Jazz, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans was supposed to act as “get right” games for the Heat to solidly reach over .500.
Now, with a loss to the Jazz and an injured lineup playing against the Pelicans on Wednesday, February 11, the Heat are struggling just to stay above .500.
They will enter the game against the Pelicans as +1.5 point underdogs.
Miami Heat’s Nikola Jovic has Been Struggling Recently
GettyThe Miami Heat need more production from Nikola Jovic, who scored 0 points against the Utah Jazz.
An inconsistent team is going to have inconsistent players. For the Miami Heat, forward Nikola Jovic has been battling with inconsistency as much as anyone in the NBA.
Jovic finished the game against the Utah Jazz with 0 points and 4 rebounds in 17 minutes. He’s scored a combined 9 points over the last four games.
Bam Adebayo offered advice to Jovic, telling him what to do to reverse course on his season.
“Understand that missed shots are a part of the game,” Adebayo said. “It’s part of your journey. I also talk about how, when I had my slump, everybody was trying to figure out how I could make shots. I was like, ‘Just keep the same routine and don’t switch up.’ Just keep living with the result.’ For me, it’s just weathering that storm. At some point, the tables are going to turn for him.”
On the season, Jovic is averaging 7.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on 36.5% shooting. While he’s played well in spurts, including a 29-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers in November, he’s yet to stretch solid performances for an extended period of time this season.
The Miami Heat Caught the Injury Bug Once Again
Just as it seemed the Miami Heat were starting to turn the corner injury-wise, a series of unfortunate setbacks has returned the Heat to mismatched starting lineups.
Against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Heat will be without guard Tyler Herro, guard Norman Powell, guard Pelle Larsson, forward Andrew Wiggins and guard Terry Rozier.
This is Powell’s second straight missed game with a back injury he sustained against the Washington Wizards.
With all the Heat’s injuries, they will use a new starting lineup for the eighth straight game against the Utah Jazz. A win would keep the 28-27 Heat above.500.
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