Miami Heat: Why the Heat could be a tough out in the playoffs

The Miami Heat are putting things together at the right time. With the lineup versatility, tested veteran presence, and great balance they’ve established within the rotation, they could be a nightmare match-up when the postseason begins.

The Miami Heat are coming off a monster win versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Let’s forget the fact that they were without their superstar point guard Russell Westbrook, and focus on exactly what happened. The Heat, a team that has been very inconsistent at times this season, went on the road in a hostile environment and snatched a victory on the second game of a back-to-back.

With this win in the rear view mirror, and looking a bit further ahead than Friday’s rematch with Milwaukee Bucks, the playoffs are just around the corner. With the last few weeks in mind, in which Miami has earned some key victories, here is why they could be a tough playoff out.

Although in his presumptive last season (the full court press is still on), Dwyane Wade seems to be in rare form. He went for 33 minutes in the game against the Thunder, scoring 25 points with four rebounds and five assists off the bench. Along with Wade’s production, Goran Dragic has also been a revelation off the pine. The Dragon contributed 26 points, 11 dimes  and five rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench.

With Hassan Whiteside joining these two coming off the bench, the Miami Heat boast one of the most formidable bench trios in the league. Throw in the springy Derrick Jones Jr., an active James Johnson, and you have a bench that can really produce. Playoff rotations usually shorten, but with the balance that coach Erik Spoelstra has struck in recent weeks combined with the lack of a true go-to guy, this depth could prove overwhelming for teams in the playoffs where the pace slows down.

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Looking at the Heat players for what they are as individuals, you see the epitome of positionless basketball. A style coined in Miami, all but one (Hassan Whiteside) of the Heat regulars are able to guard across multiple positions. Along with defensive versatility of this team, there are quite a few of the players that play across positions on offense as well, making the lineups you might see at any time very unpredictable.

This not only gives Spoelstra a plethora of options, as far as who and when he chooses to play any player in particular, but it also gives him the ability to match different styles by plugging for who the other team’s main guy is. For example, against Milwaukee you may see a lot of Bam Adebayo or Airplane Mode, Derrick Jones Jr.

They give you long, rangy, athletic guys who can not only keep up with Giannis Antetokounmpo off the bounce, but can also potentially contest him at the rim. While in a match-up with Toronto, there will be a bigger James Johnson/Justise Winslow factor when taking into consideration who will guard Kawhi Leonard. This versatility is another reason some teams may not want to see Miami in the playoffs.

Lastly, you have to take another hard look at the Dragon and Flash. Wade is absolutely playoff tested, as proven by his championship hardware, both before and during the Big 3 era. If you take a look at Goran Dragic, he may not have the NBA playoff or championship pedigree of Wade, but he is a veteran that has played in games pretty close to that magnitude for his Slovenian National Team side. Besides, with the Dragon, you can always count on maximum effort and a relentless aggression whenever he laces them up.

This veteran presence, and never the less on the second unit, will undoubtedly be something any team that matches up with the Heat concerns themselves with. Now combine that with the previously mentioned overall strength of the bench unit, the versatility among the team, and the fact that Miami Heat teams always give 200 percent effort.

Yes, that is why this team could be a tough out when the post season arrives.