MIAMI – As the Miami Heat start the regular season 0-2 with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the forefront after Friday's 128-111 loss to the Detroit Pistons, the franchise is still in the process of getting the superstar and others acclimated to the new-look team. After the opening loss for the Heat against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, 131-106, the team was hoping to turn it around with the Pistons visiting, but the result is something that Antetokounmpo feels will benefit them in the long run.

It was another shockingly down defensive performance, allowing Detroit to score 103 points through three quarters and shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three-point range (18 of 38).

Giannis Antetokounmpo on how the Heat have been shocked

Along with playing more sloppy basketball, getting out-rebounded 53-49, Antetokounmpo says that Miami is going through the “shock” of their initial expectations not being reached, which raises a “level of urgency for everybody.”

“We just gotta spark it. Like somebody has to spark it. That's all. We've seen it, we know it's here. I don't know if it's getting to know one another more now because it's official games, I don't know if it's jitters, a little bit nervous, new season, I don't know what it is…You gotta shock the team, and this is what we are going through right now. We had two games in our building that we were definitely shocked,” Antetokounmpo said.

“I feel like you kind of raise the level of urgency for everybody, for me,” Antetokounmpo continued. “It's not gonna be easy. Like what says that we're gonna go in Charlotte and the same thing is gonna happen. We have to be urgent; we all have to be, we have to be better. It starts with myself always. Anything I say, I always start for myself. I have to be better, I have to set the tone, I have to be more urgent, and it's bad, but it's good because it puts you in a place of shock. And sometimes with good teams and teams that compete, you need to be shocked a little bit.”

Giannis discusses the need for the #Heat to “spark” themselves.

“We know it's here. I don't know if it's getting to know one another more now because it's official games. I don't know if it's jitters. You know a little bit nervous. New season. I don't know what it is. Sometimes… pic.twitter.com/8gvcdgmmbG

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) October 24, 2026

Individually, it was another impressive outing for Antetokounmpo, recording 36 points on 15 of 26 from the field to go along with 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block.

Heat's Giannis Antetokounmpo surprised in one specific aspect

While offensively it could take time for the Heat to fully click, defense was an aspect that many in the basketball world had little worry about. Especially with the individual talent on that side of the ball with Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, and others, the two-time MVP said to ClutchPoints that despite everybody still getting to know how to play with one another, the defense struggling is surprising.

“I think we can be a lot better. We don't set the tone,” Antetokounmpo said. “I feel like we just expect that other teams are just gonna come in this building and lay down and let us play our game, but it's not gonna be this way. Teams are good. Minnesota is good. Detroit is good. Cavs, Philly, etc., etc. You have good teams. Like, you have to compete. It's not going to be easy. I don't think anybody expected that it's going to be. But both games, we didn't set the tone at all.”

Asked Giannis that despite getting to know each other, if he’s surprised by the disappointing defense thus far: #Heat

Yeah, I think we we can be a lot better. We don't set the tone. I feel like we we just expect that other teams just gonna come in this building and lay down and… pic.twitter.com/zXlqCkeTdo

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) October 24, 2026

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Offensively, Miami shot 38.2 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from three-point range (15 of 51), as with much to fix, head coach Erik Spoelstra is confident in further improvement in the group led by Antetokounmpo.

“We want it to go well, not only for him [Antetokounmpo] but for us,” Spoelstra said. “He really cares. He wants this to work. His teammates really want this to work. We're gonna get there. It's just not on our timeline right now exactly how we wanted to start the season…I really like the spirit of the group, like the competitiveness; I like the process.”

At any rate, the Heat look for their first win of the season on Saturday night on the road against the Charlotte Hornets.