Miami Heat: October schedule presents a golden opportunity
By Simon Smith
On the eve of their 2017-18 season opener against the Orlando Magic, here’s a look at the early season schedule of the Miami Heat.
It’s fair to say the Miami Heat will be striving to a avoid a repeat of their lackluster start to last season.
Despite posting a 41-41 record overall, the Heat simply weren’t able to overcome their lethargic 11-30 record to commence the season.
But with the majority of the roster returning from last season, the Heat will be hoping that the continuity they developed in posting a 30-11 record to finish last season will carry over to the upcoming 2017-18 season.
Therefore, it’s imperative that the Heat set their sights on hitting the ground running, and making the most of their early season schedule.
Following their season opener on the road against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 18, the Heat complete the rest of the month with a five-game home stand.
Here is how the remainder of October shapes for the Heat:
Oct. 21 vs. Indiana Pacers
The loss of All-Star Paul George, a thorn for the Heat throughout his career, represents an enormous loss for the Pacers. With his replacements not close to being on the same level, the Heat should grasp this opportunity to kick off their home opener with a victory.
Oct. 23 vs. Atlanta Hawks
Like the Pacers, the Hawks lost an All-Star of their own this offseason with the departure of Paul Millsap to the Denver Nuggets. With their roster now bare of any All-Star talent, the Hawks are officially in a rebuild mode. All things going well, the Heat should certainly chalk up a win here.
Oct. 25 vs. San Antonio Spurs
Clearly the Heat’s first real test of the season, the Spurs have certainly had the Heat’s number in recent seasons. In fact, the Spurs have defeated the Heat in their past seven regular season meetings, with the last win featuring all members of the Big 3. Coming off their third 60-win season in the past four years, the Spurs have been the epitome of sustained excellence.
While this is bound to be a massive test, the Heat are clearly well overdue for a victory over the Spurs.
Oct. 28 vs. Boston Celtics
Like the Spurs, the Celtics represent a great early season test for the Heat. Despite leading the Eastern Conference with 53 wins, the Celtics return with just four members of last season’s roster. So while the additions of All-Star talent such as Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are incredibly exciting, there is bound to be a transition period in terms of meshing their new collection. As the Heat can attest after last season, this process can potentially last several months.
Therefore, this is certainly an opportunity for the Heat to capitalize and notch a key early season win.
Oct. 30 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
This is yet another team that is undergoing a significant facelift in terms of the makeup of their roster. This offseason saw the Timberwolves land All-Star Jimmy Butler, point guard Jeff Teague and veterans Jamal Crawford and Taj Gibson.
On paper, their talent is undeniable. But like the Celtics, this is unlikely to happen overnight for the Timberwolves. Catching a team with such talent at home in the early stages of the season is an opportunity that needs to be grasped.
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So overall while the Heat certainly have some testing games early in the season, a combination of their opponents’ early season adjustments, and the ever-present home court advantage, means the Heat should certainly be aiming for a winning record come the end of October.