Miami Heat

[perempe20]

JJ is incredibly versatile.

Watch on YouTube

[heat4life]

I stopped doubting this team long ago and decided to just enjoy the way they play the game. As for the playoffs, the easier thing to do is doubt but again, ANYTHING is possible with this team. Reminds me of the 2003-04 Heat team that got on a hot streak to make the playoffs and then went on to beat a talented Charlotte team in 7 games and lost to the JO led Indiana Pacers to 6 games.

[King-]

I reckon if the Heat end up keeping this up and squeeze into the playoffs, and make a little run..... Dragic has to be all-NBA 3rd team again? Surely there is too many guards for him to make it?

It'll be tough not to give it to him, if they continue this into the post season (no jynx). His shooting numbers have been pretty insane. On top of his 20-6-4 season averages, I believe he is second in 3 point% and top 10 in total fg %.

Waiters has been absolutely awesome, and I'm glad for him. Hassan gonna Hassan. Always. But I think Dragic is the most consistent one so far this year. Dude is playing exactly like 2014. Its crazy how much of a better player he is when he is the #1-1.5 option and he gets to run a team. Its a double edged sword, because to maximize Dragic- he needs to be the man.... and you gotta think, well who wants a team with Dragic as the man? That won't be successful....

But then you see what they're doing. 20-4 in the last 24, and even that Suns team in 2014 finished with like 47 wins and just barely missed the playoffs. Dragic underrated as hell, WHEN he is the man on a team. Definitely top 10 PG under those circumstances, IMO. And that's saying a lot in this PG heavy league.

[Wagonband]

I reckon if the Heat end up keeping this up and squeeze into the playoffs, and make a little run..... Dragic has to be all-NBA 3rd team again? Surely there is too many guards for him to make it?

It'll be tough not to give it to him, if they continue this into the post season (no jynx). His shooting numbers have been pretty insane. On top of his 20-6-4 season averages, I believe he is second in 3 point% and top 10 in total fg %.

Waiters has been absolutely awesome, and I'm glad for him. Hassan gonna Hassan. Always. But I think Dragic is the most consistent one so far this year. Dude is playing exactly like 2014. Its crazy how much of a better player he is when he is the #1-1.5 option and he gets to run a team. Its a double edged sword, because to maximize Dragic- he needs to be the man.... and you gotta think, well who wants a team with Dragic as the man? That won't be successful....

But then you see what they're doing. 20-4 in the last 24, and even that Suns team in 2014 finished with like 47 wins and just barely missed the playoffs. Dragic underrated as hell, WHEN he is the man on a team. Definitely top 10 PG under those circumstances, IMO. And that's saying a lot in this PG heavy league.

Indeed, Dragič has been playing great. I think he is playing even better than in the Phoenix days, since that team was basically a run n gun team, but Miami's approach is more methodical than that. Also the Dragič/Frye pick n pop was probably the most lethal play of that entire year in the NBA. I was always suprirsed that Spo didn't run the same play with Chris Bosh, who would probably be an upgrade to Frye in that spot.

But 3rd team is going to be very hard. Curry, Harden, Westbrook, Thomas are all locks, and then you have the Toronto guys, Kyrie, Wall... But i think he is clearly in the top 10 of the guards in the league.

[chrbal]

Its crazy, i figured that they would be awful. They resigned Whiteside and Tyler Johnson, kept Dragic (which didn't always seem like it was going to happen)...and then basically signed an expansion team. They have drafted/scouted pretty well on young guys too. Deal with quite a bit of injuries to key players, sometimes barely be able to field a roster for a game, watch Derrick Williams get to the point where they cut him, Luke Babbit is a starter...

Now they are an almost playoff team. When they traded for Babbit, i figured it was one of those "well, why not?" type moves...like how the Nets picked up KJ McDaniels for free. Instead Luke can shoot 3s and kind of fills a niche. Not to mention, Dion Waiters was one more so-so season to becoming a journeyman hired gun and now seems to have a found a team.

Always thought Pat Riley was good, Spoelstra is impressing me.

[Wolfy1983]

[Hello Brooklyn]

I feel like you could make a case that the Heat are the 2nd best team in the East.

I mean they sure are playing like it.

Lebron better hope he doesnt face them in the 1st round.

[baller16]

I feel like you could make a case that the Heat are the 2nd best team in the East.

I mean they sure are playing like it.

Lebron better hope he doesnt face them in the 1st round.

Lebron has nothing to worry about.

[Wolfy1983]

I feel like you could make a case that the Heat are the 2nd best team in the East.

I mean they sure are playing like it.

Lebron better hope he doesnt face them in the 1st round.

Lebron has nothing to worry about.

I really hope they have that mentality come playoff time.

[Hello Brooklyn]

I feel like you could make a case that the Heat are the 2nd best team in the East.

I mean they sure are playing like it.

Lebron better hope he doesnt face them in the 1st round.

Lebron has nothing to worry about.

Yeah he does. He's had a cakewalk to the Finals for the past 2 years.

He's not going to be so fresh once he has some battles in the East.

I think the Pacers have done that in the past.

[TMU]

I feel like you could make a case that the Heat are the 2nd best team in the East.

I mean they sure are playing like it.

Lebron better hope he doesnt face them in the 1st round.

Lebron has nothing to worry about.

20-4 since mid January. The Heat have beaten the Rockets 2x, Cavs 2x, Warriors, Raptors, Hawks 2x, and Pacers - that's nearly half of their wins during that stretch, against "better" teams.

I think that's plenty to be worried about. No team in the East would want to face the the Heat right now. +8.7 point differential in Feb and +11.8 in Mar, which is pretty ridiculous.

[Usual Suspects]

Tomorrows game is big for the Heat, but Dragic will likely be out. They can become and neck with Indiana if they win tomorrow.

[LedeniZZZ]

I like underdogs, hope they make playoffs and make a deep run. No "real star" and bunch of "scrubs" and "overated coach".

[DowJones]

I feel like you could make a case that the Heat are the 2nd best team in the East.

I mean they sure are playing like it.

Lebron better hope he doesnt face them in the 1st round.

Lebron has nothing to worry about.

20-4 since mid January. The Heat have beaten the Rockets 2x, Cavs 2x, Warriors, Raptors, Hawks 2x, and Pacers - that's nearly half of their wins during that stretch, against "better" teams.

I think that's plenty to be worried about. No team in the East would want to face the the Heat right now. +8.7 point differential in Feb and +11.8 in Mar, which is pretty ridiculous.

Miami won't get open 3's once the Cavs sink in on defense. Miami doesn't have the individual talent to score when they don't get open 3's. Cleveland would handle the Heat in the playoffs.

[AndriPerdhian93]

This board is cancer, the original post tells me you know nothing about basketball. Basketball fans are getting dumber by the minute, I blame the media and analytics. I advised you to buy a league pass and actually watch all the games, in fact watch it multiple times, analyze and study the game and educate yourselves because this is crazy. I can't believe football fans are more knowledgeable about their sport than basketball fans now a days.

Co sign half the people on here don't actually watch the games

Not that I don't want to watch every single game but dang man I got a ft job and am going back to school and live with my s/o. There's not enough hours in the day. Gotta live. Ball is life but there is a real life other people like to occasionally enjoy.

Agree, i dont have so much free time to watch all the match and i'm only interest to watch knick anyway.

[BloodNinja]

Miami and Washington have made some remarkable come backs this season. I think the playoffs are going to be pretty competitive in the East.

[r0drig0lac]

Erik is the coty
Pat is the goat

[Green89]

They're playing well, but it's still the regular season and even being 20-4 in the past stretch isn't enough to make me say they are much of a contender. Impressive, yes; surprising, yes; worrisome to other East playoff teams, no. They shouldn't make it out of the first round if they can make the playoffs. It's a great, overachieving season for them, but not much more. I remember when the '08 Rockets had a 22 game win streak and were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. The regular season can make anyone take notice, but it's really all about the playoffs.

[BeatDaCavs420]

And Bulls fans laughed at me for wanting Waiters

Well who is laughing now.....And CRYING too because I knew it and we can really use him right now!

[Johnny Bball]

The Heat have played so well, they've managed to re-kindle my hatred of the Heat.