The Miami Heat are expected to make their third consecutive play-in appearance, two years after their NBA Finals appearance.
There are two reasons for this sharp decline in expectations: health and the inability to maintain depth.
Still, Bleacher Report admits that the Heat cannot be completely written off and calls them a wildcard contender for the championship.
“Because of Heat culture. Are we done here?” wrote B/R’s Grant Hughes. “OK, maybe we need a little more justification. But it’s not the worst idea to blindly trust Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and the hardening serum the Heat put in their post-workout smoothies.”
As Heat legend Udonis Haslem recently noted, coach Erik Spoelstra thrives when his back is on the ropes. Even if the Heat struggle with injuries once again, Spoelstra and Co. will find a way to sneak into the postseason. If the Heat’s run to the 2023 Finals proved anything, it’s that most teams are hoping to avoid them early in the playoffs.
“These guys have always figured out how to defy the odds and beat absolutely anyone in a playoff series,” Hughes wrote. “Selecting them for their above-average performance has been a smart move in the past.”
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