A lot of roster movement went on in the Eastern Conference during the offseason while the Miami Heat primarily stayed pat.
So how did the Heat remain among the elite, according to Bill Simmons?
Simmons explained on his podcast why he thinks the Heat are a bigger threat than the Milwaukee Bucks.
“[The Bucks] are not the team I fear in the East. The team I fear in the East is Miami.”
He rattled off several reasons, but the coaching advantage the Heat has with coach Erik Spoelstra was the most glaring. The Bucks have a rookie head coach, Adrian Griffin, leading a championship-or-bust roster. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are a perfect match, but superstar duos usually come with growing pains.
“This is the deepest Miami team I think we’ve had during the Butler run,” Simmons said.
With the offensive improvement from Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro’s hot start before the ankle injury, and Duncan Robinson’s resurgence, it’s already a deep team.
Then you add rookie Jaime Jaquez, who has blown people away along with Kyle Lowry, Kevin Love, Caleb Martin, and Haywood Highsmith. This roster is legit.
“Not only is he perfect for them [Heat], I love him, and I hate the Heat,” Simmons said about rookie Jaime Jaquez
The only thing in the Heat’s way is themselves, as they have struggled with many injuries to start the season.
According to BetMGM, the Heat are placed fifth behind the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cleveland Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference at +1400 odds.
They must find a way to manage the injuries without running Butler’s gas tank to empty. The Heat will be right back in the mix when it matters if they can do so.
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