Miami Heat Fallen From Title Favorites To Wild-Card Contenders?

Anthony Pasciolla | Aug 25, 2024

Dec 31, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson (55), center/forward Bam Adebayo (13), and guard Tyler Herro (14) react after a call against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports / Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat are expected to appear in the Play-In Tournament for the third consecutive season, two years removed from an NBA Finals appearance.

There are two reasons for this heavy drop in expectations: health and the inability to retain depth.

Still, Bleacher Report admits it's impossible to count out the Heat entirely, naming them as a wild-card championship contender.

"Because Heat Culture. Are we done here?" B/R's Grant Hughes wrote. "OK, maybe we need a little more justification than that. But it's not the worst idea to blindly trust Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and whatever toughness-injecting, postseason grit-amplifying serum the Heat distribute in their post-practice smoothies."

As Heat legend Udonis Haslem recently noted, coach Erik Spoelstra thrives with his back against the ropes. Even if the Heat are once again struggling with injuries, Spoelstra and Co. will find a way to sneak into the postseason. If the Heat's 2023 Finals run proved anything, most teams hope to avoid them early in the playoffs.

"These guys have a history of figuring out how to defy odds and beat absolutely anyone in a playoff series," Hughes wrote. "Picking them to overperform has historically been a wise move."