The Miami Heat have shocked the NBA world by proving they’re a playoff team. Many assumed they would be a fringe playoff team prior to the season, but they currently hold the fourth seed in the East. The Heat could potentially win out and take the second seed, but they could also drop to the sixth seed. Regardless, they’re bound for the postseason again.
August 1st vs. Denver Nuggets: Loss
The Heat, like most other teams coming back from a four-month hiatus, will struggle right off the bat. They’ll start off with a loss against the Nuggets.
August 3rd vs. Toronto Raptors: Win
This win will be huge for the Heat. Butler and Adebayo will dominate the game in an effort to secure the top seed in the East, and this win will help boost the team’s morale going into the playoffs.
August 4th vs. Boston Celtics: Loss
The Heat will come back to reality after this game. Bam Adebayo will have a great game controlling the paint, but Boston’s numerous scoring options will be nearly impossible to stop for a Heat team that doesn’t have enough elite defenders to cover them all.
August 6th vs. Milwaukee Bucks: Loss
This loss should not come as a surprise. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a freak of nature on the court, and neither Bam Adebayo nor Jimmy Butler would be able to stop him on a consistent basis. Even if they were able to contain Giannis, the Heat would not be able to stop Eric Bledsoe or Khris Middleton due to their focus on stopping Antetokounmpo.
August 8th vs. Phoenix Suns: Win
The Heat should not take this game lightly. A loss here could change their position in the standings. The best thing for Miami during this eight-game regular season would be maintaining the fourth seed. Anything lower might result in an early exit from the playoffs. Luckily, Butler will be able to contain Devin Booker, who is seemingly the Suns’ only option when it comes to winning games.
August 10th vs. Indiana Pacers: Loss
This game could go either way with how these teams are almost equally matched. In the end, the Pacers will win this game as they try to dethrone the Heat for the fourth seed. This will be the first game when Adebayo faces off against Myles Turner.
August 12th vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Win
The Heat should easily win this game due to their superior bench play. The key to this game will be stopping Chris Paul, and with Butler on the court it’s feasible.
August 14th vs. Indiana Pacers: Win
This marks the second game in which Adebayo will match up with Turner. This time the Heat will be victorious and split the series. It seems unlikely that Butler would allow two losses to the same team during this shortened regular season.
The Heat will finish the eight-game regular season with a 4-4 record. Although this does mean they will have cooled off, it should be enough to retain their fourth seed in the East.
