Last season, the Miami Heat limped to the finish line in the Eastern Conference, as Jimmy Butler and company had to compete in the Play-in Tournament for a spot in the NBA playoffs.
Despite initially losing to Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks, the Heat punched their ticket to the postseason to be the eighth seed in the East and face the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
Ultimately, Miami was able to pull off the seemingly impossible, with the Heat getting the best of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in five games, which was a wild upset.
Many believed it was Antetokounmpo’s back injury that derailed the Bucks’ chances of competing, and it may have been a fluke win for Miami, but that wasn’t the case, and the Heat dominated the competition from there on out despite missing Tyler Herro and reached the NBA Finals.
Even though Butler’s squad fell to the Denver Nuggets in five games in the Finals, Miami had still pulled off a remarkable playoff run, which was thought to put the league on notice for next season.
Unfortunately, it seems more convincing needs to be done, with the Heat coming in sixth in the Eastern Conference offseason power rankings via NBA TV.
The Eastern Conference offseason power rankings are in 💪🏾
📰 https://t.co/A335TYz4li pic.twitter.com/jg8BF9d19W
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 31, 2023
One reason the Heat might have five teams ahead of them in these offseason conference rankings is the fact that superstar guard Damian Lillard hasn’t been traded yet, with his desired destination being Miami or the departures of starters Gabe Vincent (Los Angeles Lakers) and Max Strus (Cleveland Cavaliers).
Regardless of the reasoning, this seems a bit disrespectful to the Heat and what they’ve been able to accomplish and will likely serve as motivation for the team moving forward.
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