The Miami Heat aren't in the NBA playoffs but ESPN's Kendrick Perkins has found a similar team still alive
The Miami Heat are home watching the NBA playoffs this month but that's not to say they don't have a presence.
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, a former player, says the Minnesota Timberwolves remind him a lot of those Jimmy Butler-led Heat teams from the early 2020s. The T-Wolves hold a 1-0 lead against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals after Monday's victory in Game 1.
“They’re (Spurs) not going to win this series," Perkins said on ESPN's First Take. "I know when a team has that ‘IT factor.’ The Minnesota Timberwolves, they got that ‘IT factor.’ I used to call the Miami Heat when they had Jimmy Butler and Bam during their finals runs the Goons from Dade County. Well these are the Goons from Minnesota”
Perkins was referring to when the Heat advanced to the 2020 NBA Finals behind Butler during the "bubble" season in Orlando. They eventually lost to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
After getting swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round the following season, the Heat once again returned to relevance in the Eastern Conference. They earned the No. 1 seed in 2022 before losing to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the conference finals. They followed that by going all the way from the No. 8 seed to the NBA Finals, where they lost to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in five games.
BOSH REFLECTS ON MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Former Heat All-Star Chris Bosh is one of the biggest "what-ifs" in NBA history.
Sure, Bosh won two titles while playing alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the early 2010s. He also earned a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Still, Bosh can't help but think about what could have been. His career was cut short in 2019 when he was forced to retire at 31 because of recurring blood clots.
"It was tough because I was in good shape," Bosh said during an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast with former NBA player Matt Barnes. "I mean, me and Pat, we talked about it. We had a squad. I felt, not to say that we were going to win it all, but we could've competed for a championship."
Bosh said one of his goals was winning a title without James.
"I was so mad and frustrated" Bosh said. "All those guys that we were talking about earlier I wanted to be like them. A 13-year career, is kind of like bottom-tier. I wanted to establish myself in the record books. I wanted to establish myself without `Bron, to be honest with you. We wanted to win without him. I think it's something to say Shaq won without Kobe, Kobe won without Shaq. I wanted to put myself in that category and on that pedestal. I wanted to help (Wade) get back to that status as well."
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com