Miami Heat: The pros and cons of facing the Philadelphia 76ers

The Miami Heat are gearing up for a first round playoff battle against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs is upon us. And Heat Nation is ready for a showdown.

After having finished 2017-18 regular season play with a record of 44-38, the Miami Heat found themselves as the Eastern Conference sixth seed. Which means they get to face off against the No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers; a series that is now being deemed Culture vs. Process.

With Game 1 tipping off on Saturday, April 14 at 8 PM ET, this matchup is undoubtedly going to a battle. In fact, many are already predicting it will go to seven games.

While the Heat certainly have their work cut out for them, they are also entirely capable of coming out victorious.

Cons

There’s a reason the majority of fans wanted Miami to land the seven seed (putting them versus the Boston Celtics instead). The 76ers blossomed this year, and even worse, finished the season off strong.

Going on a 16-game winning streak, Philadelphia is feeling itself right now. Especially given the fact that these wins weren’t a result of just relying on Joel Embiid, who has been sidelined with a fractured orbital bone.

It also doesn’t help that the 76ers have home-court advantage. Besides the obvious implication for any matchup, the Heat have been struggling on the road recently, resulting in going 18-23 this season.

Pros

With all that said however, Miami still has a leg up in many ways.

For one, the Heat’s bench (better known as the Platinum Group) outworks Philadelphia’s tenfold. Between Kelly Olynyk, Wayne Ellington and of course, Dwyane Wade, Miami’s depth is its (maybe not so) secret weapon.

And speaking of Wade, the Heat also have experience on their side. They may have missed the postseason last year, but the majority of the current roster has at least minimal knowledge of how things work come April. With the likes of Wade and Udonis Haslem passing down the tricks of the trade, to lead the young bucks forward.

There is also the fact that Embiid will not only miss at least Game 1, but will thereafter play with a face mask on. Sure, the 76ers have played their last eight games without him, but it has to be noted that during that time, Philadelphia faced teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks.

The two teams split the regular season series 2-2, with Miami grabbing back-to-back wins in the final two matchups. They went 102-101 on February 27, and 108-99 on March 8.

Next: The Miami Heat are positioned to overcome Philadelphia in the playoffs

Buckle up, Heat Nation. It’s about to be a wild ride for the Miami Heat.