The Good, Bad and Miami Heat Culture is a biweekly column focusing on what is going on with the Heat, including its final playoff push and whether these are Dwyane Wade’s final games.
The Good
The Miami Heat, against all odds, are still making a playoff push.
I say against all odds because this is a team that lost 104-99 to the Orlando Magic in a must win game March 26 and continues to be unpredictable. The Heat needed to win not only in that game against the Magic in case of a tie-breaker, but it was also Chris Bosh‘s jersey retirement night (and Justise Winslow‘s birthday, for what that’s worth.)
The team currently sits in the nine seed in the Eastern Conference with a 38-39 record. The biggest threat to the Heat right now is the Magic (eighth, 39-40) with the 19th-most difficult remaining schedule, according to Tankathon.
Meanwhile the Heat have the seventh-toughest remaining schedule. So why is all of this in The Good you ask? Because the Justice Winslow and Rodney McGruder are active again. I believe Winslow is the best player on this team right now, and they have needed him and will need him if they are going to make the playoffs.
The final four games will be against the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves — none of which have been easy opponents for the Heat this season.
All of that being said, there is still a chance. I guess that is good enough.