The Miami Heat were hardly taken seriously before the beginning of the season, not even after they signed Jimmy Butler.
A team only kept prominent by a retiring veteran in Dwyane Wade last season. The Heat are still revered as one of the toughest teams in the NBA due to unwavering principles and the hard work they preach. Yet after missing the playoffs by a pair of games in 2018-19, they weren’t expected to achieve anything and fans were probably resigned to waiting for when cap space was a bit more friendly.
Somehow, Pat Riley managed to not only bring in a gritty All-Star, but he managed to get rid of Hassan Whiteside and his burdensome contract as well. Even then, the Heat were sold as average at best, and who could blame anyone? Apart from getting Butler and ultimately keeping an aging Goran Dragic, who is still very much a solid point guard, there was not much going for Miami.
The Miami Heat Hovering Towards the Top of NBA Power Rankings
The Unsung Heros
Enter Bam Adebayo, Kendrick Nunn, Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson. The quartet is quickly gaining popularity in the NBA, especially Adebayo. He is on the verge of All-Star territory.
Save a strange loss to an understaffed Washington Wizards on Monday night, Erik Spoelstra’s men are going into 2020 as one of the scariest teams in the Eastern Conference. It wouldn’t be unwise to dub them the scariest either. They don’t have the look of an outfit anyone’s looking to go up against in the playoffs.
The Heat are third in the East with a 24-9 record and are fourth in the league overall. That’s right, only the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Boston Celtics have better records. They boast two more wins than the Celtics at that.
As such, they’ve ended the year in the second spot in theathletic.com’s power rankings.
“At times, it feels like the Miami media and the Miami fan base are overstating just how good this team is and how good it can be. And yet, the Heat have mostly proven them to be right through the first 32 games of the season,” the publication’s Zach Harper states. “This team is excellent and has a 9-6 record against non-losing teams. The Heat still are trying to find their full health and they look this good. Nobody will want to play them in the East. They’re building toward being a squad everybody outside of South Florida has to take seriously for winning the conference.”
Vegas Fully On Board with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference
Where NBA betting is concerned, the Heat are 8/1 to win the Eastern Conference with Bet365. The Bucks are still the favorites at 13/10. While the Philadelphia 76ers have been attached to odds of 11/4 by William Hill. Defending champions, the Toronto Raptors, are 12/1 to come out of the East with Betfair. Lastly, the impressive Indiana Pacers are 14/1 with Betvictor.
The Heat certainly can’t be faulted for harboring title ambitions right now. However, they’re still considered to be longshots by the bookies. Bet365 has them at 25/1 to go all the way this season, with several teams, thought to have a better chance. The Los Angeles teams are currently locked as joint favorites at 13/4. The Bucks, conversely, are right behind at 7/2 while the 76ers are 8/1.
Who knows how far Miami can go this season? They certainly aren’t entertaining any talk of them achieving anything short of a championship, but they still look to be at least one piece away from the Larry O’Brien Trophy. With trading set to pick up again, might they attempt a shot at another big-name player who could turn them into a legitimate contender? We’ll have to wait and see.
One thing’s for sure, though, no one’s sleeping on Miami.
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