The real Miami Heat did not play against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last year. That group was only a shell of the actual team.
The Heat were without star Jimmy Butler and point guard Terry Rozier, who were dealing with injuries. So, are fans overreacting about Pat Riley being almost silent during free agency for a second straight year?
“We barely got to see Rozier, Butler, [Tyler] Herro, and Bam [Adebayo] together at all before everybody got injured at different times, including at the end of the season when they were completely helpless against Boston in the playoffs,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on his podcast this week.
Lowe does have a point.
The Heat were undermanned when it counted last season. Rozier arrived at the trade deadline, so their top players had little time to develop chemistry. The reality is this: when healthy, the Heat have four players who are capable of scoring at least 20 points on any given night.
Not many teams in the East can say that. In fact, not many in the NBA can say that.
Some feel the Heat are just as talented as any team in the league when not saddled with injuries. Just look at the last two seasons. In 2023, they made the Finals despite Herro missing the postseason. Last year, it was Rozier and Butler.
This team hasn’t had the chance to prove its worth when healthy in the playoffs.
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