Both the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers have had a lot of problems this season and they will have to fight hard to reach the playoffs.
But which team has a better chance of returning to their respective conference finals this year?
According to Brian Windhorst, the Heat are more likely to go far in the postseason this year.
Speaking on “First Take,” Windhorst said that the Heat are actually a much better team than their current place in the standings suggests and the rest of the season could be good for them.
.@WindhorstESPN believes the Heat are more likely to return to the NBA conference finals than the Lakers 😯 pic.twitter.com/rwAq6O8Bye
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 8, 2024
He said that the Heat have been bothered by injury problems all season long, which has hurt them in numerous ways.
They might be the sixth seed right now but that place is actually misleading because they are superior to that.
Plus, they have a favorable schedule for the rest of the season and there are other teams in their conference that are also suffering from injuries too.
This could open a pathway for the Heat to once again reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
Last season proved that no one should doubt Miami once they reach the playoffs and that they can have a huge impact even if people have counted them out.
And what about the Lakers?
They are the tenth seed in the West right now and have a 34-30 record.
They have also been impaired by injuries but their schedule ahead is not favorable and they haven’t been playing consistently.
Both the Heat and Lakers have surprised people in the past and over-performed, but will they do it again this year?
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