At the All-Star break, the Miami Heat currently sit at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Despite missing key players for multiple games, and playing the most road games, the Heat have climbed at the top of the conference. How? Well, we have to start with Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. He has done a great job of adjusting on the fly and getting his minimum salaried players to step up when needed. But yet, Miami hasn’t received as much attention as other teams when it comes to being a title contender. A lot of the national attention has been on teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks.
Representing the Heat
The Heat currently have two representatives in Cleveland for the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend. Jimmy Butler will play for Team LeBron while Spoelstra will coach Team Durant. Even though he’s missed time, Butler has been the Heat’s best player all season. Spoelstra, on the other hand, has done a great job of keeping his team competitive despite the injuries they had from their best players. As mentioned earlier, it seems like the other teams in the East are getting more national attention considering the topics on ESPN talk shows. However, Butler doesn’t agree with this.
“I don’t think so. We’re one in the East,” Butler said when asked if the Heat are overlooked. “I think people know we’re good whether they believe we can win it or not. I don’t think anybody’s skipping Miami on their schedule. I think it’s going to be a dog fight, it’s going to be a good game, whatever game we’re in, but right now, I don’t think we’re overlooked.”
Jimmy Butler explains why he doesn’t think the Miami Heat are “overlooked”
“I think people know we’re good whether they believe we can win it [all] or not.”
The Heat are 38-21, #1 in the East, but don’t often get mentioned among other teams as possible title contenders. pic.twitter.com/W8L0GqN5jH
— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) February 19, 2022
Beating the Best
Butler was speaking to reporters during Saturday’s All-Star media session. If teams are looking to win the East, they certainly shouldn’t be overlooking the Heat. Miami has had success against all the top teams in the conference. They’re 2-0 against Brooklyn, 2-0 against the Chicago Bulls, 2-1 against Milwaukee, and 1-1 against Philadelphia. The only team they haven’t had success against is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are 2-0 against Miami this season. Of course, Butler has not played in any of the games against Cleveland.
Still, this doesn’t make Miami the favorites to win the East. Like the other teams, Miami has its flaws. They’ve struggled to score in the halfcourt in clutch situations. Instead of a free-flowing offense, the offense tends to get stagnant, and the team relies heavily on Butler’s isolations. It’s an issue that’s been more highlighted recently and the team will continue to work through it. Additionally, there are only 4.5 games that separate the one-seeded Heat from the sixth-placed Boston Celtics in the standings.
Number One Despite Injuries
Overall, the Heat have proven they can play with the best in the East. Especially when they’re fully healthy. They’ve also shown their resiliency as they dealt with their lineup inconsistencies. Butler has missed 19 games. Bam Adebayo has missed 25 games with thumb surgery. Kyle Lowry, who has missed time with Covid-19 and personal matters, has missed 13 games. Tyler Herro has also sat out multiple games. And Victor Oladipo has yet to play a game this season.
The Heat don’t receive a lot of attention from the national media. Most topics on ESPN’s talk shows are centered around the Nets, Bucks, 76ers, and even the Los Angeles Lakers, who are barely hanging on to a playoff spot. ESPN analyst J.J. Redick has probably been the only national analyst to show love to Miami. But the teams that are competing against Miami know how good they are. And that’s all that matters.
Be sure to check out all of our NBA coverage.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @primetimesportstalk
Follow Jacari McRae on Twitter @JMcRae23
Main Image Credit: https://www.forbes.com/sites/shlomosprung/2021/05/12/jimmy-butler-discusses-miami-heat-playoff-chances-investment-in-rhone-including-active-creative-role/?sh=a295d26703ab
