Bam Adebayo Slams Attempts to Make Him ‘Scapegoat’ Amid Heat’s 0-4 Run

Bam Adebayo is not letting the criticism get to him after another poor performance against the Dallas Mavericks.

Bam Adebayo Slams Attempts to Make Him ‘Scapegoat’ Amid Heat’s 0-4 Run

Bam Adebayo (Image credits - NBARetweet/X)

Things are far from ideal for Bam Adebayo at the moment. The Miami Heat center has been the center of attention as he continues to struggle to find his rhythm so far this season.

The pressure has been building on the Heat after losing their first three games of the regular season for the first time since 2007. While Giannis Antetokounmpo has performed at a high level, Adebayo’s lack of output on the offensive end has been a matter of concern.

But it looks like things are getting even more complicated now as they suffered their fourth consecutive loss on Monday night. The Heat fell 113-109 to the Dallas Mavericks at the Kaseya Center.

With the losses piling up, Adebayo addressed criticism of his play and believes his struggles are being magnified.

My shot’s not going in. I’m not going to overthink that. It’s funny how the outside noise wants to make me the scapegoat. When the tables turn and when the energy shifts, be prepared for that.

Bam Adebayo in his postgame press conference

After missing the playoffs last season, the Heat front office needed a new star to team up with Adebayo. They did not waste any time and pulled off arguably the biggest move of the summer by trading for Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.

Following the arrival of the Greek star, many believed that the Heat possessed the best front court and would pose a stringent defense in the league. Hence, the Heat were viewed as title contenders heading into the season. Unfortunately, they find themselves 0-4 to begin the campaign.

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Bam Adebayo on being the scapegoat for his team

The Heat were one of the many teams to revamp their roster in the summer. Since their run to the NBA Finals in 2024, the Heat were clean-swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round in 2025 before missing the entire playoffs this year.

Bam Adebayo
Bam Adebayo (Image credits – Yahoo Sports)

There has been a lot of noise surrounding Bam Adebayo and his poor performances. Former Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy went as far as to call him “overrated” and believed they are a Play-In team at best before the 2026-27 campaign got underway.

However, Adebayo believes that he is being “scapegoated” and suggested that when they eventually go on a win streak, the noise surrounding him and the team will change.

I got expectations for myself, but obviously the outside noise has got expectations for us. So for me, I know what I’m capable of. I’m not going to overthink that. I’d rather it be right now than this be midway through the season or in April. Because what if we go on a 10-game winning streak? Then how does the noise change?

Bam Adebayo in his postgame press conference

With Antetokounmpo on the team, the Heat will always be a team to look out for in the Eastern Conference. However, Adebayo will need to significantly improve his scoring, as the Heat can’t rely on the two-time MVP to carry their offense every night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo defended Bam Adebayo after his dismal performance

Bam Adebayo is known for his defensive prowess more than his offensive skill set. But after all the changes made to their roster, the 29-year-old was expected to up his scoring this season.

With all eyes on him on Monday night, the big man finished with eight points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes. He is currently averaging 11.8 points and 7.2 rebounds after four games.

Following Adebayo’s disappointing performance, Antetokounmpo weighed in on his teammate’s struggles and refused to point the finger at him.

I think it’s not just Bam, it’s everybody. We try to figure out where we fit in and what we gotta do. I feel like when I’m at my best, when a new player is at his best, is when he’s decisive. When he has to like, if you’re a downhill player, play downhill. You don’t think, you just play, and not just for Bam, for every single person, just play basketball….slowly, the team will figure it out.

It is still very early in the season to point fingers at anyone. It will take some time to build team chemistry, and Adebayo remains confident that he will find his rhythm very soon. However, the outside noise will continue to grow till the Heat find their first win of the new campaign.

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