After falling short in the 2020 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat have struggled to start the 2020-21 season. Sitting at 4-7, they are currently the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference. They’ve lost three straight games, including a 20-point blowout against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press reported that Adebayo had a powerful message following this most recent loss.
“We didn’t play to the Miami Heat culture that we represent….We’re built on the culture. The culture is take a bunch of guys, counted out, overlooked, and you figure it out. Right now, we’re not doing it.”
It’s still early in the season, so the Heat have time to figure things out. With leadership from guys like Adebayo, there’s no question that Miami will be back in the mix with the best in the Eastern Conference by the end of the season. For now, it appears that the Heat need to get back to their roots and the culture that they embody.
Miami’s schedule doesn’t get any easier over the next few weeks. Between now and the end of the month, they’ll face the Raptors twice, Nets twice, Nuggets and Clippers, among others.
