ESPN Picks Miami Heat To Once Again To Compete In Play-In Tournament

Shandel Richardson | 11 Hours Ago

Apr 17, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) picks up a loose ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter of a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat played in the Play-In Tournament the last two seasons.

Apparently, they are destined for another appearance. ESPN recently released its preseason power rankings. The Heat checked in at No. 7 in the Eastern Conference.

Here's what ESPN wrote: "This projection comes in right between the 44 and 46 games the Heat have won the past two seasons. Those campaigns were followed by very different playoff runs: a trip to the NBA Finals in 2023 followed by last year's five-game loss to Boston in the first round. For Miami, getting to the postseason healthy has been more important than accumulating regular-season wins."

In 2023, the Heat had to fight through the Play-In to become the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. They advanced to the NBA Finals, where they joined the New York Knicks as the lowest-seeded team to make the Finals.

Last year the Heat weren't as fortunate. They were once again the No. 8 but lost to the eventual champion Boston Celtics. The Heat played without starters Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, who were both injured.

HASLEM PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON HERRO

Heat guard Tyler Herro displays flashes of All-Star level talent, but consistency and injuries pull him back from that reality.

Herro appeared in just 42 games last season while averaging 20.8 points (career-high) on 44.1 percent shooting. Heat legend Udonis Haslem shared with Miami Heat On SI's Anthony Pasciolla he is looking for the 24-year-old to take the next step in both departments.

"Looking for Tyler Herro to take that step," Haslem shared. "He's got the talent, just hasn't been able to stay healthy. People forget that this kid has been able to average 20 points easily at some point. Coming off the bench, he was Sixth Man of the Year. He's been to two Finals, three Eastern Conference Finals. He's accomplished more in his first five or six years than people have accomplished in their whole career."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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