With the Heat up 2-0 in their series against the Pacers, they are one of the only teams in the league who have looked strong to start the 2019-20 postseason.
But when you consider teams like the Bucks, Raptors, and Celtics, how do they compare? Do they have what it takes to win the Eastern Conference?
On ESPN’s First Take, league analyst Kendrick Perkins insisted that they could beat Milwaukee in a seven-game series.
"Can [the Bucks] beat the Miami Heat in the second round? Absolutely not. … Milwaukee don't want that smoke. AT ALL!"
—@KendrickPerkins pic.twitter.com/95zhoNarSK
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 21, 2020
Miami has been one of the most surprising teams in the East. Even after acquiring Jimmy Butler, nobody was really expecting them to be at this level of play so soon.
But this season, they finished 6th in offensive net rating, 11th in defensive net rating, and ninth in field goal percentage. Guys like Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Goran Dragic have been crucial for the squad, especially in their two victories against the Pacers.
As for the bold prediction that they could beat the Bucks, that much remains to be seen but, for what it’s worth, the Heat are 2-1 in their meetings this past season.
For their sake, they better hope that carrier over if they meet in the second round.
