Wizards’ Next Opponent: The Miami Heat (11-17-22)
The Washington Wizards' next opponent will be the Miami Heat. The game takes place tonight at 7 PM from Capital One Arena. The Heat are currently 10th in the Eastern Conference and are led by their superstars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Heat have made two Eastern Conference Finals appearances and one NBA Finals appearance in the last three seasons with Butler & Adebeyo leading the way. The expectations this year for this Heat team are tremendous.
Searching For Ring #4
Photo Credit: USA Today
The Heat are 7-8 this season and they struggled out of the gate with a 2-5 record. The last games eight games have been a different story. Going 5-3 during that span has the Heat looking like they're trying to find their way back to being the Team we all know. Miami has a productive starting unit with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Caleb Martin, Tyler Herro, and Kyle Lowry and I cannot forget 6th Man Max Straus. Four of the starters average double-digits in points. Miami has always been able to grow talent within and that has made this team so competitive over the years. Erik Spoelstra has been the man leading this bunch for over 14 years but has been with the organization since 1997. Spoelstra is considered by many to be the best developmental head coach in the league. Players like Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and Caleb Martin are just a few examples. These are the type of players that will help the Heat get to their goal of ring #4 soon rather than later.
The Injury Report
The Heat currently have five injuries that are plaguing the team. Tyler Herro & Omar Yurtseven are out with ankle injuries. Victor Oladipo is out indefinitely with a knee injury. Udonis Haslem and Bam Adebayo are listed day-to-day with minor injuries.
The Series Outlook
Photo Credit: USA Today
The Wizards and Heat will battle four times this season with the first coming Friday in Washington. The second and third matchups will happen next week on Wednesday, November 23 and Friday, November 25 both in Miami. The last match-up will take place on April 7 in Washington to finish the season series. I truly expect competitive games this season from both teams because there is a lot of young talent on both sides. Last but not least, the Jimmy Butler vs. Bradley Beal matchup is enough said.
