ESPN Analyst Kendrick Perkins Talks About How Dangerous the Miami Heat Can Be in the First Round

Kendrick Perkins says the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics do not want to play the Miami Heat.

The Miami Heat’s lackluster season has brought them little attention from media and fans going into the playoffs. But if one person will be there to sing their praises, it’s ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, a long-time vocal advocate for the Heat. His latest endorsements have been words of warning for their potential first-round opponents. On a First Take segment Friday morning, Perkins said the Boston Celtics should “pray” they don’t face Miami.

“We saw what happened last year when they went toe-to-toe in the Conference Finals,” Perkins said on First Take. “They were a Jimmy Butler 3-pointer away from getting sent home. If I’m the Celtics, I’m praying that I don’t see Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in the first round. I’m praying that I don’t see Erik Spoelstra matched up with Joe Mazzulla when it comes to making adjustments.”

Perkins had the same message for the Philadelphia 76ers before they played the Heat Thursday night.

“It’s very important for Philly to avoid them,” Perkins said. “If I’m Philly, I’m coming out and trying to win this game by all means necessary. It’s no disrespect to the Brooklyn Nets, I believe the way Mikal Bridges and those guys are balling. But you still don’t wanna face Erik Spoelstra and playoff Jimmy Butler in the first round.”

These words may have been justified by Miami’s blowout win.

The narrative of Miami being a formidable opponent still remains. The Heat boast the No. 2 scoring defense in the league, and have made offensive strides despite being the lowest scoring unit in the league. They have averaged 115 points over their last 17 games, and are averaging 125 since losing to the New York Knicks last Wednesday. Jimmy Butler also elevates his game in the postseason, which by itself gives opponents reason to fear them.

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.