Miami Heat

[raiderman4]

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.

No the heat will continue to get open 3's as long as waiters and dragic are healthy. Will they continue to knock them down? Probably not at the level they are right now. I do agree with you that if the cavs faced miami in the playoffs miami would be lucky to get the series to 6 games, but you obviously don't watch them if you think the open looks are just going to fade away. To many shooters on this team for that to happen and even our best penetrators are great 3 point shooters too.

[BBallFreak]

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.

Please keep doubting us! We live for this! 21-4, now btw, with wins over Houston, Golden State, Cleveland, and now Toronto.

Doubt us!!!

[Zasterror]

I hope we continue to stay under the radar, it fuels us so much. Spo has been a thorn on my side for years but I can honestly say he is among the Top 5 coaches in the league. What he has done with this squad is nothing short of remarkable.

[Deus]

Spolstra is a top 3 coach. That's why. He'll be coaching in this league until he retires or dies in the huddle.

[DowJones]

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.

No the heat will continue to get open 3's as long as waiters and dragic are healthy. Will they continue to knock them down? Probably not at the level they are right now. I do agree with you that if the cavs faced miami in the playoffs miami would be lucky to get the series to 6 games, but you obviously don't watch them if you think the open looks are just going to fade away. To many shooters on this team for that to happen and even our best penetrators are great 3 point shooters too.

No, in the playoffs you don't get the open looks you get in the regular season.

[ATL Boy]

Don't think any team wants to face Miami in the first round.

[RaptorsLife]

Good team

[raiderman4]

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.

No the heat will continue to get open 3's as long as waiters and dragic are healthy. Will they continue to knock them down? Probably not at the level they are right now. I do agree with you that if the cavs faced miami in the playoffs miami would be lucky to get the series to 6 games, but you obviously don't watch them if you think the open looks are just going to fade away. To many shooters on this team for that to happen and even our best penetrators are great 3 point shooters too.

No, in the playoffs you don't get the open looks you get in the regular season.

Uhhhhhh yeah they do remember the heat vs mavs finals (2nd time) the way the mavs moved the ball that series, man it was a thing of beauty. All they had were open 3's and basically all series long. That was against a very good Lebron led defense. That's also the finals, so you don't think teams can still generate open looks in the lesser rounds because players happen to play harder in the playoffs? Really?

[Torchmode]

A core of whiteside dragic and waiters should be more then enough to make the playoffs. Upsets happen. Cavs defense is terrible. Primed for an upset.

[BBallFreak]

A core of whiteside dragic and waiters should be more then enough to make the playoffs. Upsets happen. Cavs defense is terrible. Primed for an upset.

I don't care who does it, but it would be pretty funny to see them go down in the first round. He jumped ship in Cleveland because he (legitimately) didn't have enough help, went to Miami, went to the finals four times (winning back to back titles in the middle), then left Miami when he decided that core couldn't do it anymore, went to Cleveland went to the Finals twice (winning one), and then started complaining again about not having enough help.

I get that he wants more out of his teammates. That's understandable. I just kinda feel like maybe he's taking that a bit too far. Grateful for what he did for the Heat, but wouldn't mind seeing him knocked down a peg, especially by this current Heat team. The irony would be palpable - his former team that clearly isn't as great on paper as his current team - upsetting him in the playoffs. The storyline would just be outrageous...

[Wagonband]

A core of whiteside dragic and waiters should be more then enough to make the playoffs. Upsets happen. Cavs defense is terrible. Primed for an upset.

If you'd said that at the start of the year you'd be laughed at like a crazy person. The consensus apart from a few fans was that Whiteside is a not impact stat stuffer, Dragič is way overpaid due a lucky season in Phoenix and not good enough to be even amongst the top 15-20 PG's in the league and that Waiters was a complete scrub, a highly inneficient volume shooter that is also bad locker-room presence.

So please don't talk how those 3 playing together should be a guarantee to make the playoffs. That's just a silly statement

[Green89]

Don't think any team wants to face Miami in the first round.

I'm pretty positive Cleveland could care less.

[BBallFreak]

Don't think any team wants to face Miami in the first round.

I'm pretty positive Cleveland could care less.

Sure. I'm sure they don't want an easy out, rather than a team like, day, Chicago, who might be backing into the playoffs...

[ATL Boy]

Don't think any team wants to face Miami in the first round.

I'm pretty positive Cleveland could care less.

I'm pretty positive Cleveland would much rather face a team that they'd have a better chance of sweeping rather than one that's now won 21 of its last 25 games.


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[PierceFan4ever]

I need to start watching Heat games. I don't know how they are winning all these games. All I know is Waiters is playing like a star. Question for Heat fans, there was a time where they looked like a sure top 3 lottery team, now since they've been winning all these games, do you mind all this going on? Do you feel this is good way for the team to rebuild post Wade and have other stars wanting to play for the Heat again?

[goodboy]

I need to start watching Heat games. I don't know how they are winning all these games. All I know is Waiters is playing like a star. Question for Heat fans, there was a time where the they looked like a sure top 3 lottery team, now since they've been winning all these games, do you mind all this going on? Do you feel this is good way for the team to rebuild post Wade and have other stars wanting to play for the Heat again?

Too late to lose games now, we're neck and neck for the post-season. Heat never had the tanking mentality like a certain team. Regardless of depleted roster and a bunch of d-league players on the team. Especially passing Wade yesterday was icing on the cake

[DowJones]

No the heat will continue to get open 3's as long as waiters and dragic are healthy. Will they continue to knock them down? Probably not at the level they are right now. I do agree with you that if the cavs faced miami in the playoffs miami would be lucky to get the series to 6 games, but you obviously don't watch them if you think the open looks are just going to fade away. To many shooters on this team for that to happen and even our best penetrators are great 3 point shooters too.

Just look at the game last week. Look at the open looks Miami got in the first 3 quarters compared

No, in the playoffs you don't get the open looks you get in the regular season.

Uhhhhhh yeah they do remember the heat vs mavs finals (2nd time) the way the mavs moved the ball that series, man it was a thing of beauty. All they had were open 3's and basically all series long. That was against a very good Lebron led defense. That's also the finals, so you don't think teams can still generate open looks in the lesser rounds because players happen to play harder in the playoffs? Really?

No, they won't get the same looks they have been getting. I am surprised that you think they will. Cleveland limited the clean looks Klay and Steph got. Why wouldn't they limit the clean looks that the guys from Miami get?

[Heat3]

I need to start watching Heat games. I don't know how they are winning all these games. All I know is Waiters is playing like a star. Question for Heat fans, there was a time where they looked like a sure top 3 lottery team, now since they've been winning all these games, do you mind all this going on? Do you feel this is good way for the team to rebuild post Wade and have other stars wanting to play for the Heat again?

I was all for the tank this year. Outside of a feel good win vs Wade or the Warriors I wanted every game to be competitive so it was entertaining but with the Heat losing so we have a better chance at the lotto.

Those days are long gone. They have me and most every other Heat fan hyped up. Now I just want to see how they'll win again. If they don't make the playoffs I'll be really disappointed.

I won't worry about the draft anymore cause the only chance we have there is if we somehow miss the playoffs and get a DRose special like Chicago did in 2008 and win with a 1% chance.

I want to see them make the playoffs and embarrass some team. Most of these guys were on the d-league not long ago. That would be an incredible story.

[ThumbsUpBaby]

I watched the Heat-Toronto game yesterday (was the first full game I've watched of Heat) and I was impressed. I can see why they've been winning 21 games since 2017 started.

People think the Heat is just hot from the 3 and that's why they're winning, but it's far from that:
1. Their ball movement is flawless. I don't know how they're doing it, but their backcourt (Dragic and Waiters) are continuously spreading the offense and penetrating and kicking it out to their 3pt shooters. Their passes are legitimately good. Their whole squad can shoot the ball, and they play for each other as they set numerous screens.
2. Whiteside was playing a bit slow at the start last night and Jonas was eating him up in the post and on the boards. But he woke up, and this guy had a monstrous presence. He's definitely going to scare LeBron and Irving. This guy was terrorizing Toronto's offense.
3. Their defense was freakin' crazy. Each and one of them were zoned in. There were 2 instances when DeRozan had to chuck the ball from the 3 pt line because time was winding down and he airballed both of them. He had his shots and makes, but he definitely had a hard time scoring them.
4. They have some really good depth. James Johnson is like a poor man's LeBron and he seems like the glue guy for that team. Whenever the starters were out, the bench players continued to score and play good defense. It was pretty amazing.
5. Dion Waiters.

These guys are legit and I hope the Celtics don't have to face them in the 1st round if they make it to the playoffs.

Edit: Also Coach Spo is proving me wrong. I wouldn't be hesitant calling him a top 5 coach in the league.

[Wolfy1983]

I watched the Heat-Toronto game yesterday (was the first full game I've watched of Heat) and I was impressed. I can see why they've been winning 21 games since 2017 started.

People think the Heat is just hot from the 3 and that's why they're winning, but it's far from that:
1. Their ball movement is flawless. I don't know how they're doing it, but their backcourt (Dragic and Waiters) are continuously spreading the offense and penetrating and kicking it out to their 3pt shooters. Their passes are legitimately good. Their whole squad can shoot the ball, and they play for each other as they set numerous screens.
2. Whiteside was playing a bit slow at the start last night and Jonas was eating him up in the post and on the boards. But he woke up, and this guy had a monstrous presence. He's definitely going to scare LeBron and Irving. This guy was terrorizing Toronto's offense.
3. Their defense was freakin' crazy. Each and one of them were zoned in. There were 2 instances when DeRozan had to chuck the ball from the 3 pt line because time was winding down and he airballed both of them. He had his shots and makes, but he definitely had a hard time scoring them.
4. They have some really good depth. James Johnson is like a poor man's LeBron and he seems like the glue guy for that team. Whenever the starters were out, the bench players continued to score and play good defense. It was pretty amazing.
5. Dion Waiters.

These guys are legit and I hope the Celtics don't have to face them in the 1st round if they make it to the playoffs.

Edit: Also Coach Spo is proving me wrong. I wouldn't be hesitant calling him a top 5 coach in the league.

Rooting for you guys if Miami gets bounced.