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Jeff Van Gundy believes the Miami Heat will fight for a playoff spot

By Wes Goldberg

April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson (left), broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy (center), and broadcaster Mike Breen (right) talk before game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson (left), broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy (center), and broadcaster Mike Breen (right) talk before game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Two ESPN analysts praised the Miami Heat’s culture as the team faces a rebuild.

Despite all the changes within the Miami Heat organization this offseason, ESPN NBA analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson aren’t concerned about the team’s position or its future. Van Gundy, in particular, believes the Heat will compete for a playoff spot.

With the regular season just days away, Van Gundy and Jackson discussed the start of the 2016-17 NBA season in a media conference call this afternoon.

When the topic of the Heat came up, they were each quick to praise both Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra, before identifying some of the challenges the two of them will face this season.

Here is Mark Jackson, who went first:

"When you start off with Pat Riley and the Heat organization, the culture is already there. They compete at a high level. So I expect them to still be fighting for a playoff spot in the east and have a legitimate chance because of the way that they get after it and the culture that has been instilled in there for quite a long time.They are certainly going to miss Chris Bosh and what he does and what he brings to the table. They are going to miss a guy like Luol Deng, and what he brings on a daily basis and obviously they miss Dwyane Wade.It’s going to be a question of searching for an identity, who they are going to trust when it matters most and the games are on the line. But one thing you do know with that team, they are going to play hard and they are going to defend at a high level."

This is Van Gundy:

"And I agree with Mark about the defense and the effort level that they will expend on a nightly basis. You have [Hassan] Whiteside as an elite shot blocker, and you have Erik Spoelstra who is an elite coach. And you surround them with a bunch of hard-playing, younger players, they are going to get after you. And it’s not going to be easy.Offensively, where they get their point production, I think will be their challenge. But I do believe they will be fighting for a playoff spot.I think Miami has proven that they have had a couple of down years in the Riley era, followed by a quick ascension. It’s a place players want to play. They have a Hall of Fame coach in Erik Spoelstra, and they have demonstrated time and again that they can make moves to put themselves in the position to get the players."

Both Jackson and Van Gundy, former coaches, tend to take the front office point of view on things.

The Heat have long had one of the most admired front offices, and it’s a good sign to see they still believe in what Riley is doing despite losing the entirety of the Big Three in what anyone could call a controversial way.

Next: Analyzing the Heat's first 20 games

Still, their is obvious confidence in Miami’s front office between these two, and that’s reason for optimism for Heat fans.

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