Giannis Antetokounmpo may have made a mistake by joining the Heat

Heat struggle despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s explosive debut

The offense looked clunky in the preseason, and things didn’t look better in Miami’s season-opening loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves despite the two-time MVP’s dominance. Antetokounmpo finished the game with 35 points, six rebounds and a steal in just 29 minutes of action.

However, his fit with Adebayo on the court didn’t look dynamic, the defense severely underperformed and the role players on the team were missing in action. The Heat gave up 131 points on their home floor and offered little resistance against Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards.

The confident young star poured in 45 points and snatched 10 rebounds in his first game with point guard LaMelo Ball. For a team that is supposed to hang its hat on defense, those are unacceptable numbers.

As for Miami’s role players, forward Andrew Wiggins and guard Tim Hardaway Jr. are X-factors because of their three-point shooting and defense. However, the pair combined to shoot 2-of-11 from beyond the arc.

Overall, it was a disappointing debut for the Heat’s new-look roster as they try to build chemistry. It’s not time to panic yet, but this team doesn’t seem much different from the Bucks team that Antetokounmpo finally lost belief in.

He is the only superstar on the team, there appears to be no outside shooting on the roster and the Eastern Conference is as competitive as it’s been in years. Antetokounmpo spent years in Milwaukee having to carry flawed rosters to the playoffs with no real chance of winning a championship.

Now, it seems like he may have been traded to the same situation — just in a more scenic area of the country.