Giannis Antetokounmpo said he's not sweating the Miami Heat's 0-4 start to the campaign.
"We all have to take a deep breath, and eventually, we're gonna figure it out," Antetokounmpo told reporters, including The Athletic's Eric Nehm, after Monday's 113-109 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. "You cannot press the panic button and panic because it's only gonna get worse if you start panicking, man.
"I've been in this position before. I've lost five in a row. I've lost seven in a row. I've won 10 in a row. I've won 18 in a row. You just gotta keep on playing basketball - you're gonna figure it out."
Miami last dropped its first four games in 2007-08 and wound up tallying a franchise-low 15 wins that season.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.5 points, 9.5 boards, five assists, and one steal over four appearances in his first season with the Heat.
Despite the two-time MVP's strong start, the Heat are struggling on both ends of the floor, ranking 24th and 27th in defensive and offensive efficiency, respectively.
Miami is scoring 91.1 points per play in half-court sets, which is 22nd league-wide, per Cleaning the Glass. Meanwhile, Bam Adebayo's 11.8 points per game is his lowest mark since the 2018-19 campaign.
Antetokounmpo attributes the Heat's lackluster offense to excessive hesitancy.
"I think it's not just Bam. It's everybody," Antetokounmpo said. "We're trying to figure out where we fit in and what we've got to do. We try to not step on toes. I do it myself at times. I find myself just floating around and trying to see how to help the team.
"But at the end of the day, I feel like when I'm at my best, when any player is at his best, is when he's decisive. … Then it takes the thought process out of the game. You don't think - you just play. And that's for Bam, for every single person. Just play basketball. Don't think. Do what you do, and stop trying to (not) step on toes."
