1 week Ago By Aaron J Zacharias, Last Word On Sports
The Miami Heat were barely able to hang on in the East following the trade and departure of Jimmy Butler . Yet, here they are, in the play-in as the 10th seed with a below .500 record of 37-45.
Either they did just enough to hang on, or the Toronto Raptors didn’t do enough to catch the Heat in the standings and overtake them. Nevertheless, for the third consecutive year, Miami put their playoff chances in the hands of the play-in tournament. This time around, they’ll be forced to play twice before earning a round-one entrance ticket.
It will be no easy task, yet Heat coach Erik Spoelstra embraces his team’s play-in reality as he welcomes the clarity and fun it brings. Erik Spoelstra Embraces the Heat of the Play-In Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra leads his team into third straight play-in appearance In the old days, Miami landing in the play-in bracket wasn’t all bad. In the 2022-23 season, they ended the regular season with the eighth seed having to go through the play-in.
How did that turn out? Only an NBA finals appearance. Although, they lost to the Denver Nuggets . The following season—last season—Miami again had to wade through the play-in, making it through, but drew the eventual champions, the Boston Celtics in round one and bowed out early.
Miami has taken the much harder paths to the playoffs in recent years, and this time around, it will be no different. Except for one aspect: they may not make it out of the play-in at all. Miami will face the Chicago Bulls in their first play-in game, a Bulls team that went 7-3 to close out the season and has played very good basketball throughout March and April.
Overcoming Chicago will be a true test, and if Miami falters, they get no second shot—they’re done. Spoelstra, though, keeps his outlook positive and welcomes the clarity of the situation, even going so far as to say that the play-in scenario is “fun” but admits that Heat will not find it easy. “Yeah, we have clarity.
You know, that’s probably the first thing you always want is clarity,” Coach Spo said of Miami’s hopeful playoff fun via Zachary Weinberger, a reporter for the Heat . “We know what we’re trying to do. And this is an opportunity we know that it’s not going to be easy, but it’s an opportunity to get into the party, to get into the dance.
And, you know, I think the format once you can wrap your mind around it, it’s fun.” Miami’s offseason should include assessing how to avoid future play-in’s Right now, the Heat have an incomplete roster, which does not bode well for them going into this week. With no disrespect to Bam Adebayo , Miami is void of a true superstar, and Pat Riley is sure to attend to that over the summer.
Sowhile Spoelstra is grateful for the opportunity to at least play for a chance at reaching the playoffs, Miami is not a franchise that will further accept being in this position year after year, and this may be the last. Riley provided he is still in power, will make this offseason count, as he will not be satisfied with a play-in berth, win or lose. The Butler situation complicated things, but trading him was the only path forward.
The focus now is on Chicago, and if that works in Miami’s favor, then either the Atlanta Hawks or Orlando Magic come afterward. But what will it matter if at the end of that road lies in waiting the Cleveland Cavaliers? This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission..
