Giannis Antetokounmpo sounds off after 0-4 start: “We’re overthinking”

Even a triple-double of 29 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists from Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t enough to give the Miami Heat their first win of the season. A 113-109 loss to the Dallas Mavericks leaves Miami at a concerning 0-4 through its first four games.

It’s a start that has fallen well short of expectations for a team that aimed to compete immediately after adding the Greek star. There’s no shortage of talent, but finding the right balance among the roster’s key players is proving more complicated than expected.

And that’s exactly what Giannis focused on after the game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: “We’re overthinking”

According to Antetokounmpo, the Heat’s main problem isn’t a lack of effort so much as their difficulty playing naturally.

There are areas where we’re improving. Defensively, I think the effort is there. Do we need to watch the games back and get a lot better? Absolutely. But sometimes you want something so badly that you end up freezing

Giannis Antetokounmpo

The solution, at least as the Greek star sees it, is to simplify things.

We have to relax and play basketball. Keep working, watch film and try to improve. Sooner or later, things will get better

Giannis Antetokounmpo

The problem is that Miami still appears to be searching for a clear offensive hierarchy, with several players passing up their own opportunities in an effort to involve teammates.

Bam Adebayo’s struggles and his fit With Giannis

One of the clearest examples is Bam Adebayo, who has endured a difficult start to the season and finished with just 8 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists on 3-for-10 shooting against Dallas.

Asked about his teammate’s struggles and whether they might stem from their fit together on the court, Giannis chose to broaden the discussion to the entire team.

I don’t think it’s just Bam. It’s all of us. We’re trying to figure out where we fit and what we need to do, trying not to get in each other’s way. It happens to me, too. Sometimes I find myself wandering around the court trying to figure out how to help the team

Giannis Antetokounmpo

For the Greek star, the key is to trust their own abilities again without constantly worrying about what everyone else might want.

A player is at his best when he makes decisions with conviction. If you’re good at attacking the rim, do it. If you’re a three-point shooter, look for your shots. You don’t have to overthink it. You just have to play

Giannis Antetokounmpo

That applies to him, too, especially when he tries to force opportunities for Adebayo or Mitchell.

Sometimes I get the ball and think I need to get Bam a touch or pass it to Mitchell to get him involved. But when everyone plays decisively, attacks the basket and makes the right pass, we’re the ones putting pressure on the opponent

Giannis Antetokounmpo

According to Giannis, that indecision is also making Miami’s life harder in the simplest situations.

Sometimes we have a great shot and pass it up looking for an even better one, only to end up taking a worse one. We have to read what the defense gives us and do what we know how to do

Giannis Antetokounmpo

“No panic, but I don’t like this feeling”

Despite four consecutive losses, Antetokounmpo isn’t ready to call this a crisis beyond repair. The Greek star noted that he has been through similar stretches in his career, stressing that the team must keep working without letting the results affect its approach.

We can’t panic, because that would only make things worse. I’ve lost five or seven games in a row before, but I’ve also won ten or eighteen. We have to keep playing, and sooner or later we’ll figure it out

Giannis Antetokounmpo

That doesn’t mean he’s comfortable accepting the situation.

I don’t like how I’m feeling right now. When we turn things around, I want to remember this feeling and do everything possible to make sure we don’t end up here again

Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Heat currently sit last in the Eastern Conference and will face the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, October 28, looking to end their losing streak.

Four games are still too few to draw definitive conclusions, but enough to see that putting talented players together doesn’t automatically produce a team that works.