NBA Champion Blames Giannis Antetokounmpo, Not Bam Adebayo, For Miami Heat's Miserable Start

Expectations were sky-high in South Beach following the marquee offseason arrival of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Pairing Antetokounmpo alongside cornerstone big man Bam Adebayo was widely projected to solidify the Miami Heat as a dominant power in the Eastern Conference.

Instead, the Heat have stumbled out of the gate to a disastrous 0–4 start to the 2026–27 season. While much of the early critique has focused on Adebayo’s dramatic drop in scoring production, former NBA champion Channing Frye argues that public scrutiny has been directed at the wrong superstar. Speaking on "The Road Trippin' Show," Frye insisted that Miami's offensive stagnation is not Adebayo's fault, but rather the result of the entire roster bending to Antetokounmpo's system.

"Bam is a great player — he’s a 20/10 guy…you can’t ask him to be this scorer, he’s not that guy — he had 80 once, Frye said.

"Giannis is one of the top 4 most talented players to put on a Miami Heat jersey — whatever system Bam is used to…it’s out the window…if you watch the games like I did — they stand and watch Giannis run Milwaukee Bucks system because that’s what he’s used to…they stand and watch, and they’re not used to that — it’s going to take them a month to get used to Giannis’s system — this isn’t Miami’s system anymore," Frye continued.

While Frye absolved Adebayo of direct blame, the box scores reflect a drastic role change for Miami's longtime center. In 2025-26 season, Adebayo averaged a career-high 20.1 points per game as Miami's primary interior option. However, this season, through four games, Adebayo's scoring has cratered to 11.8 points per game, a 41% drop, despite maintaining steady production with 7.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per match.

Shams Charania Notes On-Court Spacing Challenges

The transition period has attracted attention across national media. During an appearance with Stephen A. Smith, NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed that Miami's front office and coaching staff are actively searching for ways to integrate both big men effectively.

Charania noted that Adebayo and Antetokounmpo occupy similar areas of the floor, creating spacing congestion in the half-court.

"There’s a lot of adjusting going on in Miami — when you bring a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo who takes up so much space… we saw Davion Mitchell say he believes Bam Adebayo needs to move with more intention," Charania told Smith.

Charania added that head coach Erik Spoelstra may need to introduce more high-screen action.

"I’ve watched their games so far — I wondered, do they mix in more pick and rolls? There are ways to get creative if that’s the issue the team is dealing with... It is 4 games in — I would caution everyone about that; these teams always take time when you bring a player like Giannis."

With 78 games remaining, the Heat face the immediate challenge of melding two franchise-caliber frontcourt stars into a cohesive unit before their early-season slump creates a deeper deficit in the Eastern Conference standings.