Breaking News: NBA Analyst Forecasts Two Formidable Challengers and Two Easy Opponents for the Miami Heat in the Upcoming Playoffs [Full story link in comment]
As the playoffs approach, the Miami Heat are heading towards a lower seeding. What teams will they want to avoid facing? Who are their most favorable matchups?
The Miami Heat are gearing up for the playoffs and are trying to avoid being in the play-in tournament for the second straight season.
With only 12 games remaining, it will be difficult for Miami to secure a top seed barring a miracle. That means they will face a tougher opponent in the first round of the playoffs. However, some opponents are much tougher than others. There are a few teams the Heat will want to avoid in the postseason, while they might feel comfortable taking their chances against other opponents.
Here are two teams the Miami Heat will want to avoid in the first round, and two ideal matchups.
Avoid: New York Knicks
It is difficult to predict what to expect from the New York Knicks this postseason. The Knicks are currently dealing with several injuries. It could be argued that it would be better to face the Knicks early and knock them out before they can get healthy. However, if everything goes right for them and their key players return before the playoffs, they will be a tough team to beat.
The Knicks have a 15-2 record when OG Anunoby plays. Their defensive efficiency as a collective unit is one of the best in the NBA. The Knicks have missed Julius Randle since late January, who will provide an all-around boost for the team in the postseason if healthy. Jalen Brunson has been playing at an All-NBA level. He has ramped up his scoring, averaging over 40 points over a recent three-game stretch.
Brunson was arguably the best player in the series when the Heat and the Knicks faced each other in the Conference Semifinals last postseason. The Heat had a difficult time stopping Brunson from scoring, who averaged 31 points per game in the series. He helped turn the series into one of the most competitive ones Miami faced on their way to the Finals. This is a much better Knicks team than the Heat faced last year. They are ramping up for the playoffs and if they get healthy at the right time, they could be a threat.
Avoid: Boston Celtics
The Celtics are the team to avoid in the playoffs. If the Heat end up facing the Celtics in the first round, they could be in danger of being sent home early.
The Heat and the Celtics have faced each other in three of the last four Conference Finals, standing in the way of each other from reaching the NBA Finals. The Heat have won two out of the three matchups.
This Celtics team is not like any of the teams the Heat have previously faced. This team is more talented and more experienced than any Celtics team this version of the Miami Heat has faced. Jayson Tatum looks more comfortable on the court and is making higher IQ decisions. While his scoring has gone down from last season, his assists have increased slightly and he has helped lead the Celtics to the best record in the NBA. The team will soon reach the 60-win mark, the sign of a truly elite team.
The additions that make the Celtics so hard to defeat are Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis in particular is a nightmare matchup for the Heat, who don’t truly have the personnel to guard Porzingis, a 7-foot, floor-spacing giant. All five starters for Boston are solid defensively, so it is tough to attack one matchup. Boston is not the team you want to face in the playoffs this year.
Ideal: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers would still be a tough opponent, but the Cavs are also the most favorable matchup for the Heat. Their most experienced playoff veterans are Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus. Everyone else in the rotation has very little playoff experience.
The Cavs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last year by the Knicks. Their two bigs looked lost on the court and were outplayed by New York’s frontcourt. Donovan Mitchell struggled from the field, shooting only 43 percent from the field in the series.
Mitchell is too talented of a player to struggle in back-to-back postseasons. The Heat might have trouble stopping Mitchell, but their experience and coaching would allow them to contain everyone else.
The Heat defeated the Cavs sans Mitchell in their most recent game, thanks to the heroic shooting of Terry Rozier. Based on that game, this would be a very competitive series, but Miami can rely on their experience to push them forward.
Ideal: Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are one of the top teams in the East. They have the talent to beat the Heat in a seven-game series, but given the choice between the Celtics and the Bucks, the Heat would rather face the Bucks 10 times out of 10.
The Bucks have gone 13-11 under head coach Doc Rivers, which isn’t incredible for a team with the second-best record in the East. The Bucks defense has been shaky at times. Although defense has improved under Rivers, the Heat are still capable of shooting the Bucks out of the building on any given night.
The Bucks will be faced with a lot of pressure this postseason. Is the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard duo enough to get them over the top? Did they make a mistake firing their head coach midseason? Rivers has had a troublesome recent history in the postseason. What will happen to him if he does not win with the Bucks?
All of these questions put pressure on the Bucks to win the title over the next two seasons. If the Bucks end up facing the Heat, the team that has historically sent them home early, they might be going home early again.