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After the Miami Heat lost once again to the New York Knicks Saturday afternoon, it marks their sixth straight consecutive loss. It would be fair to say that the team is playing their worst basketball of the season.
Star Bam Adebayo has been in a slump as of recent and the game against the Knicks was another example as he finished with 12 points though he collected 13 rebounds. He was asked by a media member after the game if he is concerned abut the team going on a six-game losing streak and let's just say he did not hold back in his response according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
“A lot,” Adebayo said. “Just because it’s all effort. If we don’t show enough effort on the defensive end, games like that are going to keep happening.”
The last time Miami had a six-game losing streak was in March of 2021, so there should be a cause of concern. While injuries were a massive problem for a majority of this season, that is not a valid excuse since every key player is now healthy including rookie sensation Jaime Jaquez Jr. who made his return Saturday.
Granted, the team is trying to get acclimated to a newcomer in Terry Rozier who they acquired via a trade from the Charlotte Hornets last Tuesday, but the team would tell you themselves there isn't any excuses. People have their slumps, it is natural in an NBA season as was proven by Miami last season where they had an up-and-down ride.
Jimmy Butler says the Heat “want to win”
Star Jimmy Butler had a solid night with 28 points and eight rebounds and admitted after the game that he doesn't know the absolute solution to their problems, but does know for a fact this team wants to win.
“We all just want to win, so I don’t know, we just got to figure that part out. We ain’t making nobody miss, we’re fouling, it’s a lot of bad, not containing the ball, our close outs,” Butler said. “It’s all stuff that we know that we’re not supposed to be doing. It’s everybody, it’s myself, all the way down to line.”
Erik Spoelstra says the team needs to get back to their “DNA”
If there is one thing for sure, the Heat have looked uncharacteristic out on the floor in this six-game losing streak where they are not playing to their identity. This is especially proven by Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra's words in his post-game press conference where the team needs to come back to their “DNA.”
“We have to take control of our identity and getting back to competing at a level to our standards and our DNA of our organization, and we simply have not been doing that of late,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But we certainly have at different stages of the season and we have to get back to it collectively.”
Spoelstra said a couple of games ago that a “breakthrough” is coming and while it might not seem like it now, the Heat have too much talent, especially now with Rozier, to keep losing. The long-time head coach would imply that the mindset of the team needs to be strengthen as he sees a “feeling of discouragement” when Miami misses an open shot.
“There’s a feeling of discouragement when we miss an open look or a shot in our wheelhouse,” Spoelstra said via The Miami Herald. “… We didn’t knock down those shots and it affects us on the other end. This is not exclusive to us, this is a league-wide problem and this is something that we’re going to correct to be able to defend and do what we’re supposed to do with physicality, force and discipline on the defensive end of the court, regardless of what happens on the other end. That’s the definition of mental toughness.”
Spoelstra admits it's a “tough time right now”
There is no sugar-coating the performance of the Heat right now, even Spoelstra himself said that it is a “tough time right now.” However, he sees it as a “great opportunity” to overcome the obstacles in their way and start the second half of the season on fire.
“Right now we’re going to rally around each other, rally around our identity,” Spoelstra said. “It’s a tough time right now. If we treat this the right way, this can be a great opportunity for our team to be able to respond to adversity, things that are making us angry. If you respond to it appropriately, you start to correct some things. That’s what we’ll focus on.”
The Heat are 24-22 after dropping six straight games which puts them seventh in the Eastern Conference. They will return home for two games starting Monday night against the Phoenix Suns and then Wednesday facing the Sacramento Kings to close out the month of January.
