Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first season in Miami might be a bumpy one. If Wednesday’s 25-point blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was any indication, the Heat are in for a rough ride, with Giannis getting absolutely nothing from his new teammates. It’s only opening night, sure, but what we saw was a stark contrast in team performance.
Ant-Man and LaMelo Just Blew Up Opening Night
Forget any doubts, because Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball just proved the hype is real. Minnesota’s last two postseasons ended with Edwards trying to carry the load all by himself, battling double-teams with no backup. But not anymore. General Manager Tim Connelly flipped the script, trading in their old “jumbo identity” for pure speed and shooting. And boy, did it pay off.
Edwards and Ball are both insane pull-up three-point shooters, and everything Minnesota does is designed to leverage the attention defenders have to pay them behind the arc. It’s a nightmare. Against a team like the Heat, who are supposed to have a top-five defense, Edwards was free to just bomb three-pointer after three-pointer with light coverage. The result? A monstrous 45-point outburst for Edwards in a dominant 131-106 win. Doubling Edwards now is almost impossible because Ball will absolutely tear apart any 4-on-3 situation. When Ball is also shooting lights out like he did against Miami, defenses are just helpless. This wasn’t just one game, this was a proof of concept. These two guards can explode, and they amplify their athletic supporting cast big time. There are always things to tighten up, but the Wolves’ opening night went about as perfectly as they could’ve dreamed.
Giannis Did His Job, His Teammates Didn’t
While Edwards and Ball were tearing it up, Giannis Antetokounmpo did everything asked of him in his Miami debut. You can’t ask for much more than 35 points on opening night, right? The problem, and the big concern coming into the season for Miami, is that there just isn’t enough offensive firepower around him to be a credible contender. Giannis accounted for more than a third of the Heat’s total points in that ugly 25-point loss. His new teammates? A dismal 26-of-62 from the floor. This roster is built in an enormously unconventional way on offense, and it showed. Giannis was out there putting in work, but he looked stranded.
Look, it’s game one of 82. We all know weird stuff happens on opening night. But what’s clear is Minnesota’s new vision is already firing, and Miami has some serious questions to answer about their offensive lineup. Giannis needs help, and he needs it yesterday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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