1. Heat earn home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs
Given their performance over recent seasons, forecasting the Heat to rapidly climb up the standings and earn the coveted home court advantage for the first round of the season may seem to be a stretch.
However, one majorly underrated storyline relating to the Heat entering the season is head coach Erik Spoelstra. Given the makeup of their roster over recent seasons, Spoelstra has entered each year with his hands somewhat tied in terms of what he’s able to conjure on a night-to-night basis.
With an abundance of players suited to the same position, finding enough minutes for all involved to satisfy their individual needs was a real challenge. For instance, since the trade deadline last season, Tyler Johnson, Wayne Ellington, Dwyane Wade and Josh Richardson, all best suited to shooting guard, are no longer on the roster.
However, the biggest change, and in turn a relief, for Spoelstra entering 2019-20 is the absence of Hassan Whiteside.
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1179553170894266370?s=20
While Whiteside certainly had his moments where he was a legitimate difference-maker, he ultimately had more than worn out his welcome with the Heat. With his complete indifference to playing within the team concept on offense to his consistent complaining and badgering when his playing time was cut, Spoelstra’s life has already been made a lot easier due to Whiteside’s departure.
But most of all, courtesy of Kawhi Leonard’s defection out west, the Eastern Conference is suddenly wide open. Aside from the consensus favorites to lead the conference in the 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks, the order for the remainder of the playoff spots are clearly up for grabs.
Given the new makeup of the roster and the clear delight this has brought to Spoelstra, expect the Miami Heat to be strongly pushing for a top-four seed, and thus earning the crucial home-court advantage to kick off the postseason.