Miami Heat – Depth
Despite possessing two all stars this season, the Miami Heat are probably the weakest of the five East contenders when it comes to top-heavy talent.
It’s up for debate who has had a better season between Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo, and neither of those two have performed up to the level of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pascal Siakam, Jayson Tatum, or Joel Embiid.
One thing Miami does have is a bench, and a well-coached bench at that. Especially with the additions of Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, and Solomon Hill at the trade deadline, who are all past their prime, yet can still hold some consistent, veteran-laden responsibilities.
Kendrick Nunn is likely the third-best rookie this season, and Goran Dragic, who still plays at a high level has accepted a bench role. Having two strong wing shooters like Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro helps a lot as well, and their deep on big men also.
The Miami Heat will have to score by committee. As much as Jimmy Butler will take on the role as the leader, and primary ball handler, this team will have to rely on a variety of pieces to get the job done.
This is very typical of NBA teams who put a lot of responsibilities on young players in the regular season, and then expect them to perform up to the same level come the post-season.
It is possible that with the in-arena intensity lowered due to the conditions, that young players may not feel the same level of pressure in these playoff games. However, teams will still be throwing their best shots at them, and if one guy isn’t ready for the bright lights, Miami has tons of guys who are willing and capable of stepping up to the moment, and they are going to need to do that in order to make the finals.
