The Miami Heat
By Vincent DiGeronimo
A few weeks ago I had previously written about the Chicago Bulls, and how I felt that their success was strange but their numbers have been there to prove it. Another team in the league this year that has begun to prove themselves but actually could be a legitimate team and have sustained success is the Miami Heat. They stand at 7-3 and atop the Eastern Conference. They also have the third largest point differential in the league behind two annual powerhouses: the Golden State Warriors and the Utah Jazz. As a testament to their roster and their culture, I think that the Heat could very realistically be the best team in the Eastern Conference for the entire season.
First, the Heat have one of the most impressive rosters in the NBA. They have two very high caliber players in Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler, and a support staff of absolute ballers in Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Duncan Robinson, who may not be league leaders but are still talented players. Statistical leaders include Butler, who is averaging twenty five points per game, Adebayo who is averaging almost twelve rebounds per game, and Lowry, who is averaging seven assists per game. Their other help comes from a barrage of players, who give the Heat tons of help during the game.
Furthermore, every year, I feel that the team who ends up either surprising everyone or making it the furthest always has the right mindset. This year, if you look at the other teams in the NBA, who often sit atop the Eastern Conference, have an unmatched culture and poor mindset. The Heat have Kyle Lowry, who knows exactly what it takes to be on a championship team, Jimmy Butler who is the hungriest player in the NBA, and other players such as Tyler Herro, who are out to prove something. I think that if this team can manage to keep a team mindset and stay healthy, they will win the Eastern Conference, and this I will not go back on.