Davion Mitchell lays bare the problem of Bam Adebayo's fit with Giannis Antetokounmpo on new-look Heat

It’s been a struggle for Adebayo to find space to operate next to Antetokounmpo as Miami is off to an 0-4 start

The Miami Heat are off to a dreadful start to the 2026-27 season, dropping their first four games after a 113-109 loss on Monday night to the Dallas Mavericks. It's not the start anyone in Miami envisioned after trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, and all of the worst fears about the Heat's roster and a potentially clunky offensive fit between Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo have already come to fruition in the first week of the season. Adebayo is off to the worst start to a season in his career since becoming a full-time starter, averaging 11.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 40.0/16.7/61.5 shooting splits — all of which would represent career-low shooting marks.

A four-game sample is not enough to entirely write off the partnership, but it has been about the worst-case scenario for how those two stars can work off of each other. Adebayo said outside critics are making him out to be "the scapegoat" of Miami's early-season struggles, but with a roster already thin on offensive talent, the Heat's second star struggling this badly is going to bring quite the spotlight. Davion Mitchell, the team's starting point guard, was asked about Adebayo's struggles after Monday's loss to Dallas and succinctly explained why it's a tough fit alongside Antetokounmpo. "I think I got to