The Miami Heat were expected to be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA this year. Adding Giannis Antetokounmpo was supposed to give them one of the best defensive frontcourts. Pairing him with Bam Adebayo was supposed to give them defensive anchors.
Instead, it has been a struggle on that end of the floor. The Heat sit at 3-6 on the season, and they have one of the worst defensive ratings in the league. In fact, they have the fifth-worst defensive rating. Erik Spoelstra is not happy with how they have been playing, and he called the team out.
Erik Spoelstra Calls Out Heat For Poor Defensive Play
Spoelstra understands that the Heat has to play better on defense. That’s especially true with how poorly the offense has played. He called out the team and how they have been doing.
“Everybody has been saying the right things, and everybody wants it to look right. There was nothing coming out of training camp or preseason that would have shown this (kind of) start. We thought we were building all the right habits, and the reality is this league can be humbling. And I throw myself in there as well.”
Spoelstra also called out that the team needs to stop talking and actually have their actions speak for themselves.
“We have a lot of guys with resumes, but resumes and a piece of paper don’t defend. It has to be actions. It has to be five people working together where you’re really putting your effort out there and on the same page. Being on the (same) page is just as important as the efforts.”
Figuring out the best way to defend needs to be a priority. Offensively, Miami has struggled, as well. However, the offense should be able to catch up at some point down the line. The defense should be the easier issue to fix, as long as they commit to it.
Miami is Starting to Dig a Deep Hole in the Eastern Conference
The East is much more competitive this year than it was in the last few years. Miami is already digging a deep hole early in the year. The Heat currently sit 10th in the standings, and a bunch of teams have injuries around them. Miami has stayed healthy so far this year.
It’s almost certain that the Heat will find a stretch of games in which they will be without some of their top guys. Antetokounmpo only played 36 games last season, so watching him miss games wouldn’t be shocking. However, other teams will get healthier around them.
The Pacers have a ton of injuries and are behind them in the standings. Orlando is without Jalen Suggs. Either one of those teams could leapfrog Miami in the standings if they can’t fix their defense soon. That would take them out of the play-in, which would be a disaster.
Erik Spoelstra Speaks on Heat’s Defensive Struggles: ‘It Has to be Actions’