After losing to the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday, the Miami Heat are once again in contention for the Play-In Tournament
The Miami Heat made history in 2023 by becoming the first Play-In Tournament to make the NBA Finals.
At least one former NBA player thinks that provided a false sense of hope for the Heat, who are once again flirting with entering the postseason as a Play-In participant.
While making an appearance on the Run It Back podcast, Lou Williams addressed the Heat's issues.
“You get tricked into it because they made the finals from a play in spot so it’s kinda confusing when it comes to the Miami Heat," Williams said. "If you’re Pat Riley and [Erik Spoelstra], you don’t want this to be your name and reputation. In years past we always said come playoff time the Heat have another gear they can get to but reality is the last two years they didn’t get out the first round. Something has to change at some point if you’re the Miami Heat”
The Heat appeared they were going to avoid the Play-In a few weeks ago when they won seven straight games. They have since lost to the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets, pushing them back to the No. 7 seed.
Spoelstra addressed the upcoming challenge after the Hornets loss.
“It’s a disappointing end to that game," Spoelstra said after the Hornets loss. "Now we just have to focus on getting ready for Thursday. We’ll learn what we can, but we know we have to move on and get on to the next fight.”
But Williams does have a good point. The Heat's Finals run in 2023 could be a negative because it always feels they can turn it on for the postseason. At some point, the Heat need to regain its perch atop the Eastern Conference. They have endured two straight first-round exits in the playoffs. There are still 13 games left in the season, which leaves plenty of time to earn a higher seed.
The next five games will give a good indicator of if that will happen. They play five straight teams that are in playoff contention, including the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers (twice) and Los Angeles Lakers.
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