NBA Rumor: Basketball Analysts See Heat Scraping Way To Postseason Wars

The Miami Heat are technically rebuilding and adding Jimmy Butler as the new face of the franchise seems to be the direction where the South Beach squad is headed. However, most know that team president Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra need to add more stars to the mix if they are to go deeper in the NBA playoffs.

With their current lineup, some feel that the Heat will encounter rough sailing making it to the NBA postseason wars. However, a former NBA coach believes they have enough to make it to the playoffs next season although perhaps at the bottom half of the group.

Sam Mitchell, someone who served as the interim head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2015-16 believes that Butler is one of the top two-way players in the NBA today, the Miami Herald reported. Ironically, Butler also suited up for the T-Wolves during the 2017-18 season.

“Butler is one of the top two-way players in the league. The Heat “has to add something” to be any more than a bottom playoff team at best," he said. And it appears Mitchell is not alone in forecasting the South Beach squad will make it past the NBA regular season.

Mark Jackson, another former NBA coach, and ESPN co-lead analyst sees it the same way although he feels more moves are forthcoming.

"I fully expect them to be in the playoff mix and make the playoffs. They play hard, they defend, they compete at a high level. They’re in a good spot.”

In all, more moves are needed for the Heat if they want to make a serious push in next season's NBA playoffs. Again, this somehow calls to mind the case of three players who own hefty deals. They are Goran Dragic, James Johnson, and Dion Waiters. Hassan Whiteside was the fourth guy in the mix but has since been dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers.

As mentioned in a previous post, the Heat could finally come up with an acceptable proposal to the Washington Wizards. Bradley Beal and John Wall of the Washington Wizards have been linked to the Heat, something that is expected to be in the air for the coming NBA season. If that is consummated, then perhaps they can improve on the bottom-playoff prediction made by analysts so far.