Adebayo: ‘We have to figure this out.’ 20-point home loss to Pistons drops Heat to 4-7
Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s concerning 120-100 loss to the Detroit Pistons (3-9) on Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat (4-7) has lost three straight games, and four of its past five.
After playing the previous two games with just eight available players because of COVID-19 issues, the Heat was closer to full strength Saturday. But Miami’s early-season struggles continued with a loss to a Detroit team that entered with a 2-9 record.
Six of the eight Heat players who missed the previous two games because of the league’s health and safety protocols returned against the Pistons: Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, Moe Harkless, Udonis Haslem, Kendrick Nunn and KZ Okpala were available.
But the Heat was still without All-Star wing Jimmy Butler and veteran guard Avery Bradley, who both missed their third consecutive game because of the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols. Center Meyers Leonard also missed his third consecutive contest Saturday because of a left shoulder strain.
In addition, second-year Heat guard Tyler Herro was held out Saturday because of neck spasms.
The Heat had 13 available players against the Pistons: Precious Achiuwa, Duncan Robinson, Kelly Olynyk, Andre Iguodala, Chris Silva, Max Strus, Adebayo, Dragic, Harkless, Haslem, Nunn, Okpala and Vincent.
With a different group available Saturday, the Heat used its eighth different starting in the 11th game of the season: Vincent, Robinson, Okpala, Olynyk and Adebayo. This five-man combination had never logged a second together in a game before Saturday.
The Heat’s bench rotation against the Pistons included Dragic, Achiuwa, Nunn and Iguodala. Then when Detroit took a double-digit lead in the second half, coach Erik Spoelstra also subbed in Chris Silva and Max Strus.
Forwards Moe Harkless and Udonis Haslem were the only available Heat players who did not play in Saturday’s loss.
Despite getting players back Saturday, the Heat’s slow start to the season continued.
Detroit, which entered with the 24th-ranked offensive rating and 23rd-ranked defensive rating, turned a four-point halftime deficit into a 15-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The Pistons outscored the Heat 38-19 in the third quarter.
“I can help the group a little bit more than I have,” Spoelstra said after the defeat when asked if the lack of continuity is affecting the Heat’s play. “When there are moving parts, we can simplify and just get guys feeling as comfortable as possible. These are the circumstances. It’s not just for us. A lot of teams are going through it.”
Detroit tied a season-high 120 points, with the help of 68 second-half points on 55.6 percent shooting from the field and 14-of-26 shooting on threes.
Forward Jerami Grant led the Pistons with a team-high 24 points, to go with nine rebounds and six assists.
“We’re in that classic moment right now where you’re not as bad as you think you are,” Spoelstra said. “You’re never as good as you think you are, as well, when you’re playing well. We just have to continue to work and find solutions to get better.”
Adebayo said: “We have to figure this out. It’s sad that I keep saying it, but we got to figure it out. That’s all I got for that answer. We got to figure out solutions and next man up.”
The early-season turnover issues also continued for the Heat.
Miami entered Saturday averaging the second-most turnovers in the NBA at 17.8 per game and the league’s second-highest turnover rate (percentage of plays that end with a team turnover) at 17.1 percent.
Turnovers were again a problem for the Heat on Saturday. Miami committed a season-high 23 turnovers, which Detroit scored 27 points on.
Dragic and Nunn each committed a team-high five turnovers in the loss.
“These turnovers really just have been crippling,” Spoelstra said. “It’s tough to really get a read on how the game is going when you’re just gifting the other team some easy baskets.”
The empty Heat possessions helped the Pistons finish with a 91-67 advantage in shot attempts, which helps tilt the math in Detroit’s favor. The Pistons committed only 13 turnovers.
This comes two nights after the Philadelphia 76ers scored 37 points on 20 turnovers from Miami on Thursday.
Some of these issues have to do with the circumstances the Heat has faced early in the season, with players in and out of the rotation because of injuries and COVID-19 issues. But it’s clear, whether it eventually gets cleaned up or not this season, the high-turnover performances are hurting Miami at the moment.
The Heat is 1-5 this season when committing 18 or more turnovers in a game.
Even in an ugly loss, Okpala made a strong case for a consistent spot in the Heat’s rotation even when the team is at full strength.
After playing in just four of the Heat’s first 10 games, Okpala made his first NBA start and logged extended minutes with two usual starters (Butler and Herro) out Saturday.
Okpala, 21, was impressive with a career-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 shooting on threes, one rebound and one assist in 27 minutes. He scored a total of just seven points in the five regular-season NBA games he played in last season as a Heat rookie.
Okpala was aggressive from the start, as he recorded 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including two threes, in a seven-minute stint to open the game.
Okpala’s three-point shooting was especially encouraging because it’s an area he has worked hard on improving since the Heat traded three second-round picks to acquire him on draft night in 2019. He had not made a three-pointer in a regular-season NBA game before Saturday.
Okpala made three of his four three-pointers Saturday from the corner.
This is Okpala’s second standout performance in the last few weeks, as he finished Miami’s Dec. 18 preseason finale with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and 6-of-10 shooting on threes, five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in 34 minutes.
“It really was a shame that he wasn’t able to play in the last two games,” Spoelstra said of Okpala. “Those minutes and opportunities would have been really beneficial, but he’s making the most of whatever opportunities he has been given. Most of it has been behind the scenes, other than the Toronto preseason game and a little bit in the Milwaukee game. But he has played well, he has made big time strides behind the scenes.”
A bit of good Heat news? Adebayo’s midrange shot continues to be an efficient offensive option.
The Heat’s All-Star center finished Saturday’s loss with 28 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 12-of-12 shooting from the foul line, seven rebounds and six assists in his return from a two-game absence.
Adebayo, 23, again impressed with his improved outside shot. He made each of the three midrange shots he attempted against the Pistons, according to NBA tracking stats.
This represents a continuation of a trend that began during last season’s playoff run, when Adebayo was 17 of 37 (45.9 percent) on midrange shots. Adebayo is shooting 13 of 27 (48.1 percent) on midrange shots this season.
That’s a big step forward from last regular season, when Adebayo made just 22.3 percent of his midrange shots.
“I would say I was impatient. I want to be out there,” Adebayo said of missing the previous two games because of health and safety protocols. “I want to help my team. So sitting at home and watching my teammates fight, I feel like I need to be out there.”
In Dragic’s return after missing the previous two games, he finished with 12 points and 10 assists in 31 minutes.
As far as Herro’s neck spasms, it sounds like the injury won’t keep him out long.
Herro, who entered averaging a team-high 17.6 points and 33.7 minutes of playing time, missed his first game of the season and watched from the bench Saturday. He played through the neck injury for a few games, but it tightened up and kept him out of the entire fourth quarter in Thursday’s loss to the 76ers.
“It just didn’t loosen up yesterday,” Spoelstra said Saturday. “That was kind of to be expected. He has been dealing with it for about a week. We think another day will be good for him.”
The Heat’s next game is Monday, and it’s again against the Pistons (3 p.m., Fox Sports Sun).
This story was originally published January 16, 2021 at 11:38 PM.
