New Heat Partnership
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo detail their new Miami Heat partnership for the upcoming season
Anonymous
At Miami Heat media day, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo said they expect to push each other to improve as the team prepares for the 2026-27 season. Antetokounmpo said their partnership may take time to click, especially offensively, but believes their experience, willingness to adapt and mutual accountability will help them thrive together. He also argued that facing Adebayo in practice could make games easier for his teammate, while both players’ defensive skills give Miami a potentially formidable frontcourt. Antetokounmpo floated a defense-focused hypothetical starting lineup featuring himself, Adebayo, Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larsson and Andrew Wiggins, without newly acquired shooter Klay Thompson.
Key Points
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Miami’s defense has room to rebound: the Heat fell outside the NBA’s top 10 in defensive rating last season, the first time in roughly a decade, according to the report.
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Antetokounmpo said the proposed defense-heavy lineup could make him the mismatch, and praised Davion Mitchell’s defensive mindset, quoting him as saying, “I’m a defender, bro.”
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Media day also offered a glimpse of Miami’s revived rivalry with New York: after Adebayo scoffed when the Knicks were described as the league’s best team, Antetokounmpo remarked, “I know you didn’t like that. It’s a rivalry, right?”
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