Heat 2018-19 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
After returning to the postseason during the 2017-18 campaign, the Miami Heat will look to take another step forward in 2018-19.
The Heat finished sixth in the Eastern Conference (44-38) and lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.
The good news is the Heat haven't suffered any significant losses aside from Dwyane Wade, who might be coming back anyway. The bad news is Miami is basically the same team from a year ago, which doesn't necessarily represent progress.
Still, the Heat are poised to once again challenge for a top-eight spot in the East. With Friday's release of the regular-season schedule, Miami now has its path to the postseason.
2018-19 Details
Season Opener: Wednesday, Oct. 17, vs. Orlando Magic (7 p.m. ET)
Championship Odds: 300-1 (via OddsShark)
Full Schedule: NBA.com
Top Matchups
Philadelphia 76ers: Monday, Nov. 12
Hassan Whiteside and Sixers center Joel Embiid were feuding well before the first round of the playoffs, and Embiid wasn't content to leave things be after Philadelphia eliminated Miami:
Beyond the rivalry between the two big men, Embiid is the perfect measuring stick for Whiteside. He typifies the prototypical center for the current trends in the NBA, whereas Whiteside is built more for the league of 10 or 20 years ago.
During the playoffs, Miami had a minus-15.3 net rating when Whiteside was on the court, per NBA.com, and he averaged just 5.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Whiteside was basically unplayable, especially once Embiid returned for the final three contests of the series.
Miami's regular-season matchups with Philadelphia will go some way toward answering whether Whiteside can adapt his style to better fit the demands of centers in today's game.
Washington Wizards: Saturday, Nov. 10
No team may be harder to read in the East than the Washington Wizards.
They performed below expectations in 2017-18 to finish eighth in the conference. Rather than doing anything drastic, general manager Ernie Grunfeld prioritized depth by acquiring Austin Rivers and signing Dwight Howard and Jeff Green.
Team owner Ted Leonsis called the Wizards roster the deepest of his tenure, while Howard told reporters the team is going to "shock a lot of people."
As much as the Wizards have the pieces to make a run to the conference semifinals or finals, it's just as easy to envision Howard experiencing chemistry issues.
Washington and Miami split their four games during the regular season last year. The Southeast Division race could once again be tight, so the Wizards-Heat matchups could have a big impact on the East's playoff seeding.
Prediction
On one hand, the Heat should get a slight lift from LeBron James' move to the Los Angeles Lakers. Miami was 1-2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18, so the team should improve upon that record with James gone.
On the other hand, the Milwaukee Bucks and Wizards should be better, while the Heat did little to strengthen their squad. Miami traded both of its 2018 draft picks and had limited opportunities to sign free agents. Re-signing Wayne Ellington was its biggest offseason move.
Like many other teams, Miami is likely looking toward 2019 or 2020, when it will have more financial flexibility to pursue marquee free agents.
Goran Dragic has a $19.2 million player option for next year, while Whiteside can collect $27.1 million if he opts in as well. Assuming both Dragic and Whiteside exercise their options, the Heat will have to wait until 2020 before they'll have the space necessary to sign a max-level player.
In the four years after James left, the Heat have averaged 42.5 wins and reached the playoffs on two occasions. Fans have every reason to believe the Heat will be a postseason team again in 2018-19. Improving upon last year's result may be difficult, though.
Record Prediction: 43-39
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