The Miami Heat have been active in free agency so far.
Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker are new additions to the roster.
Kyle Lowry is signing with the Miami Heat.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 2, 2021
They are signing talent left and right, while locking up their guy, Jimmy Butler, for the next five years.
The Heat are a year removed from making it all the way to the NBA Finals.
It was a fantastic run that is now looked at as a fluke.
The Heat do not want to be looked at as such.
That is why they have been extremely aggressive in this offseason.
This past season was marred with injuries and COVID.
In the first round of the playoffs, they were swept by the eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, last season in the bubble, they upset the Bucks in the second round.
The Heat might be back now, but are they true contenders?
Truth be told, they aren’t contenders, but it’s not their fault.
Do They Have A Top Guy?
The top guy for the Heat is Butler.
However, is he a top-20 guy in the NBA?
He is an All-Star, just like Bam Adebayo.
They are very good players, but they are not on the same level as other players in the Eastern Conference.
Giannis Antetokounmpo might have claim over the best player in the world now.
He is the reigning Finals MVP now and is still getting better.
Then, there is Kevin Durant, who is one of the best scorers of all-time.
Joel Embiid was going to be the MVP this season, before his injury.
All of these players are elite individuals and can dominate every night.
The Heat might not have that type of guy.
It is not their fault that other teams in the conference have generational talents.
The Brooklyn Nets
The Heat have a good roster as of right now.
The Heat new squad:
Kyle Lowry
Duncan Robinson
Jimmy Butler
PJ Tucker
Bam Adebayo6th man: Tyler Herro pic.twitter.com/qyzqjTARPo
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 3, 2021
Their additions would make them a contender in most cases.
In reality, they are an elite team.
However, they are not contenders in the East because of one team.
That team is the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets have a big three that we have rarely ever seen.
Durant paired with James Harden and Kyrie Irving is extremely scary for opponents.
They are going to be fully healthy and play more than 20 games with one another.
The Nets have been adding some pieces in free agency as well.
Patty Mills just signed with the Nets, while Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown have re-signed with the organization.
The Bucks are the defending champions and the Philadelphia 76ers have a great team as well.
Both of those teams have a claim to be ahead of the Heat.
However, those teams are not even close from a talent perspective to the Nets.
This is the Nets’ conference to lose next season.
Health can be their kryptonite for next season.
That is the only way they can fall.
They were close to taking down the reigning champions without a healthy Harden and no Irving.
The Heat are good, but not on the level of the Nets.
NEXT: Should Miami Heat Blow Things Up This Offseason?