Are the Heat going to be on fire this season? The acquisition of Kyle Lowry from the Toronto Raptors and an impressive preseason record of five wins out of six has led many to believe that Miami could be this NBA season’s dark horse.
Take a look at the reasons why pundits and fans alike believe the Heat could spring a few surprises this season before checking out the betting odds for Miami’s opening game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
New Players the Key?
As an NBA champion in 2019, Lowry brings the necessary experience to complement the Heat's squad of young talented players. Although Lowry is 35 years old, the six-time All-Star is a proven playoff performer, and his addition gives the Heat another halfcourt creator.
Also, PJ Tucker, who was part of the Milwaukee Bucks' title-winning team last season, will surely be a significant influence in the locker room. When you add these two new additions to All-Star players Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, you could argue that the Heat has one of the league’s deepest squads.
Don’t forget Tyler Herro, who aged just 20 became the youngest player to start a NBA Finals game (game 2 of the 2020 NBA Finals) a record that previously belonged to Magic Johnson.
Impressive Preseason
Yes, this was a limited six-game preseason. Still, the Heat posted the NBA’s fourth-best rebounding percentage at 52.5 percent, the fifth-best offensive rebounding percentage at 29.8 percent, the 10th-best defensive rebounding percentage at 75.6 percent, and won five games.
These stats show a vast improvement from the Heat’s last regular season when the Heat finished with the NBA’s ninth-worst rebounding percentage at 49.1 percent, the second-worst offensive rebounding percentage at 24 percent, and the 12th-worst defensive rebounding percentage at 73.3 percent.
Judging on the Heat’s preseason alone, things look on the up for Miami.
Five Important Games for Miami
Oct. 21 vs. Milwaukee Bucks
The Heat will be looking to give their regular season the perfect start with a win against the defending champions. After the Bucks swept them out of the playoffs last season en route to winning the NBA championship, revenge is on the cards.
Nov. 10 @ Los Angeles Lakers
The 2020 NBA Finalists meet again. Yes, both NBA franchises have made plenty of changes, but expect this to be a fiery encounter still.
Jan. 12 @ Atlanta Hawks
Despite having one of the best teams, winning their division will be far from easy. Trae Young and the Hawks showed they were the real deal last season by making it through to the Eastern Conference Finals. This basketball game in the new year will be the first of four between these two teams. Therefore, expect this meeting to set the tone for this Southeast Division battle.
Jan. 26 vs. New York Knicks
Ok, it’s never going to compare to the 1997 rivalry, but these two dogged, defensive teams will indeed produce sparks in this locking of horns. These two teams will likely be jostling for playoff seeding throughout the regular season – let’s hope it breathes some life into this great rivalry.
Feb. 3 at Toronto Raptors
Raptors legend Lowry will visit the Scotiabank Arena for this first time since leaving Toronto in what will be an emotional matchup. After spending nine seasons with the Raptors, many Toronto fans consider him the GOAT for their team.
