The Miami Heat navigated a difficult play-in tournament to secure their spot in the NBA Playoffs. After finishing as the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, Miami had to overcome the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks to qualify.
Miami has endured a tumultuous season. Jimmy Butler‘s trade request derailed the team before it even began picking up steam. However, in recent weeks, Miami’s roster has started to gel, and now, they’re set to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
When speaking to the media after defeating the Bulls, Tyler Herro praised his team’s resiliency.
“[We’re] super resilient,” Herro said. “We have a bunch of guys who come in everyday, put their hard hats on and they work. The season hasn’t exactly been how we wanted it to but we come in, we work, we continue to get better everyday. We got a lot of young guys who have a lot of promise and a lot to look forward to.”
Miami will need that resiliency as they face the Cavaliers. Cleveland finished the season as the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They will also have the best player in the series, with Donovan Mitchell undoubtedly looking to prove himself. Nevertheless, you can’t count out Miami, under Erik Spoelstra, they’ve become elite at fighting with their backs against the wall.
Heat’s Spoelstra Calls for Heat to Respect Cavaliers
When speaking to the media following Miami’s 123-114 win over the Hawks, Spoelstra shared his thoughts on facing the Cavaliers.
“You have to respect what Cleveland has done, all year long,” Spoelstra said in his postgame news conference. “…It’s not by accident. They’re well-coached. They have really good continuity. They play the right way.”
Miami has lost to the Cavaliers twice this season, winning once. Spoelstra’s team must find a way to limit the movement of Kenny Atkinson’s roster. The Cavaliers thrive on attacking gaps and putting teams in rotation. Andrew Wiggins and Bam Adebayo will undoubtedly have significant roles to play in this series, due to their defensive upside.
Heat Keen to Retain Davion Mitchell
Davion Mitchell hit a huge shot at the end of Miami’s game against Atlanta. The bucket was just another reason why Mitchell’s move to South Beach has become a success for everyone involved.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Miami would like to keep Mitchell beyond the current season. He is currently heading into restricted free agency at the end of the season.
“According to someone with direct knowledge, the Heat ideally would like to keep point guard Davion Mitchell, an impending restricted free agent who has thrived in a bench role recently after his February acquisition from Toronto,” Jackson reported. “But the type of offers he gets in restricted free agency could force Miami’s hand.”
Mitchell has thrived under Spoelstra’s tutelage. He could become a key part of Miami’s rotation, if he chooses to re-sign with the franchise. His perimeter defense and overall intensity perfectly fit the way Miami likes to play. Fortunately for the Heat, they will need Mitchell’s defensive intensity as they try to cause an upset against the Cavaliers.
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