The Miami Heat started off the 2020-21 NBA season off slowly, but have been picking things up. As of this writing, they are 27-25 and are sixth in the Eastern Conference. However, the future could have a lot more success in store.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are the cornerstone stars for the Heat, but Pat Riley has put a talented roster around them. Duncan Robinson, Goran Dragic, and Tyler Herro are all back and big pieces for the team, but they also added Victor Oladipo ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Oladipo’s health is in question after an apparent knee injury in the team’s last game against the Los Angeles Lakers, but if he’s healthy he will be a huge presence.
One NBA scout spoke out about the current landscape of the Eastern Conference. The Brooklyn Nets are widely viewed as the powerhouse in the conference, but the scout doesn’t believe that to be the case. He thinks the Heat are the team to beat in the East.
“I’m going to say it, the Miami Heat are the best team in the East. Assuming they have a healthy Victor Oladipo, they are more than capable of defending the Nets with Harden, Durant, and Kyrie. They have a ton of offensive firepower and their defense is absolutely elite. This team is going to be a problem in a seven-game playoff series.”
What a statement to make at this point in the season. With the Heat in the No. 6 seed currently, they have a lot of work to do to prove that they are the best team in the East. But, they do have the talent to make that happen.
Speaking of their defense, it doesn’t get much better in the starting lineup than Oladipo, Butler, Adebayo, and Trevor Ariza. All four players are above average defenders. Robinson isn’t a great defender, but he has a high basketball IQ that allows him to not be a weakness.
Erik Spoelstra is also one of the best head coaches in the game. That gives the Heat a major bonus in the postseason. For the Nets, Steve Nash has never coached in the postseason, which could be something to watch.
Many will not agree with the above statement from the scout. The Nets are the hot topic and the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks are right behind them. However, if the Heat get hot and stay healthy, they have the talent on both sides of the court to compete with anyone in the playoffs.
Expect to continue seeing the Heat gel together and get better as the season progresses. A lot of their future success will depend on their health, especially Oladipo, but this bold statement could end up becoming a reality.
