2021 NBA Playoffs: Contender or pretender with all 16 teams

2021 NBA Playoffs: Contender or Pretender – Miami Heat

Last year the Miami Heat were the surprise of the NBA Bubble, shooting from the fifth seed into the NBA Finals. They flummoxed the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks with their defense and then blasted the Boston Celtics with their offense before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals.

This year, the team’s stars have been just as good as a year before. Bam Adebayo has continued to mature into a two-way force inside, running the offense from the elbow and guarding all five positions. Jimmy Butler is having perhaps his best season doing just about everything else on both offense and defense for the Heat.

The problem is the rest of the roster. Tyler Herro hasn’t taken the step forward most assumed for him after a short offseason, Goran Dragic looks like he has lost a step. Jae Crowder is playing in Phoenix; Kelly Olynyk was traded for Victor Oladipo, who played four ineffectual games before the Heat lost him for the season.

They draw the Milwaukee Bucks again, and they could have their number again. Yet the Bucks are more versatile than they were a season ago, and the Heat are less. If they do knock off the Bucks, their reward is the Brooklyn Nets. After them, it is likely the Philadelphia 76ers in their path. The magic of a year ago could come together, but only magic suggests it should be expected.

Verdict: Pretender