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People still don't like to give the Miami Heat the respect that they plainly deserve, for some inexplicable reason. They boast perhaps the strongest defense in the NBA, as well as a team full of players capable of performing on both sides of the ball.
There will always be doubts about particular matchups in the playoffs, and if Miami has enough to get the job done, just as there will be questions about every contending team The one thing that Miami lacks in comparison to other Eastern Conference contenders is that Jimmy Butler, their first star, isn't quite as good as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, or Kevin Durant. That isn't to say Jimmy Butler isn't a good enough player to be the star on a championship team, but he doesn't have the offensive firepower that these players do.
It's hard to argue that anyone in the Eastern Conference is better than the Heat. There's a solid case to be made that the Milwaukee Bucks will give them a tough series, and there's even a potential that, as we saw a year ago, the Bucks will win it comfortably. The Miami Heat, on the other hand, might be able to easily defeat the Bucks in a series, as we saw two seasons ago.
It's also worth noting that the Miami Heat have dealt with several injuries this season, and while other teams have dealt with injuries as well, the Miami Heat have had to cope with lengthy injuries to two of their best players.
Let's look at the three teams who potentially pose the greatest threat to the Heat in the playoffs.
Winning an NBA title is never easy. As we have seen with the past 20 champions, every team is going to need something significant to go their way. Whether that is an unfortunate injury to someone, or having guys on the roster step up more than they ever have. There is a reason why winning a championship is so hard, and a reason why we have seen crazy upsets in the past. If a team is going to win a title, they’re going to need everyone on their roster to be playing the best basketball they possibly can, and even sometimes that isn’t enough to get the job done. Matchups are always something that is going to play a major factor, and some teams just know how to get the job done against certain teams when it matters most.
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The top playoff threats to the Miami Heat, ranked
3. Sixers
The Philadelphia Sixers are an intriguing name for the Miami Heat to be concerned about, given how well they defend elite big men. At the end of the day, Joel Embiid will get his points, and the only question now is whether James Harden and Tobias Harry can carry the rest of the load. When playing against the Sixers, Miami should be secure in the fact that they can send players like Jimmy Butler and PJ Tucker against both of those players and do a good job against them. They will also have Bam on Embiid, which will be a good matchup.
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Philadelphia has demonstrated over the last few years that when it comes to the playoffs, they just cannot win. This is in stark contrast to the Miami Heat, who, even when the spotlight is shining brightest on them, usually find a way to win. They should be confident going up against Philadelphia, and unless Joel Embiid has a spectacular series, Miami will most likely win.
2. Nets
Every team is going to have to respect the Brooklyn Nets merely because Kevin Durant is on the team and they were able to go out and grab Ben Simmons, who may not be the best player in the world, but is still a high-level defender.
It'll be fascinating to see how both of these teams match up because there's no stopping Kevin Durant. Guys like Jimmy Butler and PJ Tucker should be tasked with guarding him, and as we saw with PJ Tucker on the Milwaukee Bucks a year ago, he will make scoring difficult for Kevin Durant.
1. Bucks
This meeting has the potential to be the Eastern Conference Finals, and neither team will have it easy. Miami is very good against players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Milwaukee Bucks have a lot of other weapons with whom they will have to contend. The Bucks had swept the Miami Heat the previous season, and Miami had beaten the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semi-finals the year before.
This is one of those rivalries that isn't discussed nearly enough, yet both of these teams despise one another. When they're playing, it's clear that things may become heated, and that both of these teams despise one another.
It will be fascinating to watch whether these two teams meet in the playoffs again, it seems likely that they will meet near the conclusion of the playoffs. Both of them are undoubtedly the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and if things go as planned, this will be one of the best matchups in recent memory. They're both extremely good in different ways, and neither of them will want to play against the other.
