"At this point, the disrespect is not entirely shocking, but it's certainly a bit much. If you want to criticize the Heat for trading Jimmy Butler, fine. If you want to nitpick them for not going harder after Kevin Durant, that's not surprising either. However, to continue to discount this roster (and the upgrade they made this offseason) time and time again, even before training camp begins, is where lines are being crossed."
"The biggest issue I have with this specific prediction is, the East is not that daunting. And while the Heat admittedly don't have a championship-contending roster at the moment, it's also difficult to pinpoint which teams will clearly be better than them. The Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks will almost certainly be better than the Heat. No surprises there. But aside from that, the rest of the East is pretty much a crapshoot."
ESPN projects the Miami Heat as a Play-In (ninth seed) for the 2025-26 season, prompting disagreement about that assessment. The Heat traded Jimmy Butler and did not aggressively pursue Kevin Durant, but also made an offseason upgrade to the roster. The Eastern Conference lacks clear hierarchical strength beyond the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, making many team outcomes uncertain. Teams like the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers each carry questions about future performance. The Heat are unlikely to be bad and could outperform current expectations.
Read at All U Can Heat
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