NBA media personality Bill Simmons feels the Miami Heat could be a tough matchup in Eastern Conference playoffs
The Miami Heat are starting to play some of their best basketball of the season.
The Heat have won eight of the last 10 games, including five straight. And media personality Bill Simmons is starting to take notice. The Heat have wins over the Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons during the streak. All are expected playoff teams.
"This last five games, it wasn't just winning the five," Simmons said on a podcast with NBA analyst Zach Lowe. "I watched that Rockets game and that's when I got scared. What they did Friday night to Charlotte was notable but then one today, just taking it to Detroit."
The Heat are back atop the Southeast Division and in position to avoid a spot in the Play-In Tournament. They are tied with the Orlando Magic for the No. 6 position in the Eastern Conference and just one game back of the No. 5 Toronto Raptors.
Everything is coming together with the return of guard Tyler Herro from injury and the improved consistency of center Bam Adebayo.
"Herro is just back," Simmons said. "Herro is like, `I'm actually offended that you guys forgot I was good at basketball and I was being thrown around in this tradeline (stuff).' Bam, I think has gotten better offensively as the season went along. There were some pretty shaky Bam stuff. He's basically been a 22-10 guy for two months."'
Simmons, a noted fan of all Boston sports teams, calls the Heat one of the most dangerous teams in the playoffs. They have appeared in the NBA Finals twice since 2020 and have two more trips to the conference finals.
Simmons said anything is possible with coach Erik Spoelstra in charge in Miami.
"You have a good coach," Simmons said. "... You can have three (bad) losses and still win the series. I just don't want to see them in a series. Somehow, they have been resuscitated. I'm horrified."
It's still an uphill road for the Heat, who are still up against the likes of the Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com