Early-season NBA overreaction: Is the sky falling for the Heat already?

The Miami Heat picked up their first regular-season win of the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 129-117. They sit at 1-4 as we enter November. It is fair to wonder, even this early in the regular season, if warning signs are already flashing in South Beach.

A sluggish start has Heat fans asking whether this team has bigger problems than anyone anticipated.

Is it too early for the Heat to panic?

National NBA senior writer Ben Glover urged patience with Miami's slow start; he wrote in a piece published Oct. 29 on ESPN, arguing that it's  "reasonable to give Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff a long runway" despite what he described as an "atrocious start" to the Antetokounmpo era. Glover noted that Miami is still adjusting to Antetokounmpo's ball-dominant style, while the roster continues to search for additional playmaking and shooting.

Glover isn't dismissing Miami's issues, but he's not ready to panic either. In his view, it's "probably best to withhold judgment" until after the Heat's road swing through the Western Conference. If Miami fails to gain traction against teams like the L.A. Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz, Glover suggested it could be time to "sound the alarm." Until then, Antetokounmpo's strong production offers reason for optimism.

One encouraging sign for Miami is Antetokounmpo's production, as the former MVP is averaging 27.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists while reacclimating after last year's injury-riddled campaign.

When asked whether Antetokounmpo's presence is impacting his performance, Adebayo repeatedly cited his own poor long-range shooting.

"This year, I'm just taking more 3s," Adebayo said, via ESPN. "I mean, that's really it. But like I said, it'll fall, and when it does ... we'll see a shift."

Miami hasn't looked like a team built around Antetokounmpo as much as a team still trying to figure out what playing with him should look like.

"We have the type of guys that have the toughness to handle some adversity. Collectively, we'll get together and continue to forge ahead," Spolestra said in an Oct. 26 news conference. "That's all you can do right now. The league isn't going to bail us out. It's up to us"