The Miami Heat are set to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA playoffs for the second season in a row.

Last year, they were able to dispatch of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in just five games, but the Bucks have improved a lot this year. If the Heat want to come out victorious, they are going to need to play a complete series well on both sides of the basketball.

Obviously, when talking about about the Heat, everything revolves around Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. They are a bonafide star duo and are elite on both ends of the court. However, in order to beat the Bucks this season, the two stars are going to need their teammates to step up around them and take pressure off of them.

Looking at this series, there are a few Heat players that are going to need to step up. Tyler Herro needs to be a consistent offensive threat and the Heat need Trevor Ariza to be a solid presence as well in the starting lineup at power forward. Unfortunately, we are not going to see Victor Oladipo again this season after suffering another injury to his quad.

Miami has the pieces to make another deep run in the playoffs. They shocked everyone last year when they made it all the way to the NBA Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at who the main X-Factor for the Heat is going to be in this first-round series against the Bucks.

Miami Heat X-Factor Against The Bucks

Duncan Robinson is going to be one of the key deciding factors in whether or not the Heat can defeat the Bucks for a second consecutive season in the playoffs. He is the main X-Factor for this Miami team and they are going to need a big series from him.

Over the last couple of years, Robinson has become one of the NBA's elite sharpshooters from the three-point line. Against a team like the Bucks who are capable of playing elite defense, the Heat are going to need their shooters to knock down shots. Robinson is the best on the team from beyond the arc and you can bet that Miami will look to get him open.

During the 2020-21 NBA regular season, Robinson ended up averaging 13.1 points per game to go along with 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He shot 43.9 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 40.8 percent of his three-point attempts.

Last year during the playoffs, Robinson shot 39.7 percent from the three-point line. Miami needs him to stick around that 40 percent mark for their offense to play to its full potential. If he can knock down the three at a high level against Milwaukee, the rest of the offense should open up a bit for his teammates.

Milwaukee will focus on shutting down Butler and Adebayo first and foremost. Robinson and Herro, in particular, will be asked to come in and play a big role each and every time they touch the floor. The Heat will stand no chance of defeating the Bucks if their two talented guards are unable to make a major impact.

Expect to see the Heat make a concerted effort to get Duncan Robinson involved early and often in this series. His three-point shooting could very well be the deciding factor in the series. It's going to be a hard-fought and entertaining series to watch, but the Heat should feel very good about their chances is Robinson is knocking down the three like he is capable of doing.