Why The Miami Heat Still Have A Great Chance Of Beating Boston In The Playoffs
Heat fans witnessed the same old, nauseating story after Sundayโs devastating loss in Boston.
For the third time this season, Boston bested Miami. Although the Heat may have better players, especially at the top of the roster, the Celtics have the better team. Right now this is certain.
And for the Heat to win their second NBA championship this summer, theyโbarring a major shocking upsetโwill need to find a way past Boston. There are no detours on this map.
I talk of championships, because that is the only goal for this team.
The Heat do have several things going in their favor when thinking about a Boston matchup in the playoffs.
First, Miamiโs core is younger. Outside of Rajon Rondo, the Celticsโ core players run in their mid 30โฒs. This doesnโt matter now as much as it will in May and June. Paul Pierce is hurting, the OโNeals are hurt as usual, and Kevin Garnettโs knees are ticking time bombs.
One of the main reasons I picked the Heat to win the East back in October was because of the miles on the Celticsโ tires. Over 82 games, I assumed one or two key players would wear down.
That hasnโt entirely been the case, but there is much basketball left to be played. It gets harder to play at a high level as the grind of the NBA season goes on.
Last year, they were able to get to the Finals in part because they sacrificed winning games in March and April to be fresher for the playoffs. They limited the Big Threeโs minutes, and last yearโs conference champions went 5-8 to finish the season.
If they do the same this time around, Miami, who sits just a half-game back in the conference standings, will absolutely surpass them for the top seed.
That would be a huge boost for several reasons.
Itโs clear that Boston, Miami, and Chicago are the Eastโs elite, with Orlando a solid step behind after Operation Save Gilbert Arenas failed. Clearly, Miami would rather potentially face Boston or Chicago instead of both.
If Miami can secure the top seed, it means a much easier path to the Finals and a much more difficult one for Boston.
Whoever plays Chicago in round two, assuming theyโre the opponent, will be in for a slugfest. Boston canโt afford a lengthy, bruising series with the Heat on deck. Their core just doesnโt have the longevity to withstand it and then be at full strength afterward.
In that scenario, the Bulls would play a role in the Heatโs success in an indirect manner. In fact, I donโt think the Bulls are that far behind Boston and Miami. Theyโre really a shooter/defender-type away from being serious contenders, and there is no question a Bulls-Heat rivalry is brewing for the next few years.
On the flip-side, if Boston goes in full assault mode for the top seed, and doesnโt limit minutes, theyโre screwed. By the time the Conference Finals come around, Pierce and Garnett would be in hospital gowns drinking apple juice out of sippy cups.
The bottom line is no matter what happens from here on out, I still think the Heatโs chances of getting to the Finals are good.
If this were the Celtics from two or three years ago, Iโd be worried. But theyโre not.
Can the Heat get better? Sure. Do they need to get better? Absolutely. They need to get to a point where every possession they play as a team, a la Boston. Itโs very difficult to beat a true team with just one or two guys carrying the load.
For the Heat to take out Boston in a series, they need efficient output from the bench, a group thatโs been a question mark all season.
Sundayโs loss was by no means a good one, as there is no such thing. However, it wasnโt the end of the world. Remember, all that really matters happens within the playoffs.
And if Kevin Garnett ever tries to pull a stunt like he did below when Udonis Haslem is on the court, he might get his face bashed in.
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