Philadelphia 76ers
Overall Record: 22-10
Head to Head Matchups: 2 (Philadelphia 86-113, Miami 108-104)
Eye Test: This is an interesting matchup because they have matched up twice this season to split matchups and it is real vile within this matchup. The rivalry and disdain between the lines has been brewing for the better part of three or four years. Throw in the fact that there are former players on either team from each side and you have a matchup just made for the playoffs.
The Miami Heat can beat the Philadelphia 76ers, but the 76ers can beat the Heat. That is the issue. The Miami Heat would need to find a way to contain or neutralize Joel Embiid for an entire series, which I believe they can because Ben Simmons still can’t shoot and the rest of the team are just hype.
Houston Rockets
Overall Record: 21-9
Head to Head Matchups: 2 (Miami 129-100, Houston 108-117)
Eye Test: The Miami Heat beat the Houston Rockets very early on in the season when the Houston team came to Miami. They were able to force Russell Westbrook into one of his worst performances of the season in that game, but he made up for it in the second matchup.
The Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets have split this season, but they can always be beaten by a good team on the other side and mostly because of their style of play. If you can keep up with them and play somewhat decent defense, which the Miami Heat can more than do, then you always have a chance to beat the Rockets.
However, because they have two of the NBA’s preeminent superstars in James Harden and Russell Westbrook, you always have to give them a chance. They are in the Western Conference, so the Heat wouldn’t see them in a series unless it’s in the Finals, but they have a chance to be there because of the two previously mentioned superstars.
Golden State Warriors
Overall Record: 7-24
Head to Head Matchups: 1 (122-105)
Eye Test: The Warriors … are in rebuild mode … sort of. Well, the Warriors lost Kevin Durant, but this was after Klay Thompson went down in the playoffs with an injury that would keep him out for most of this year.
Steph Curry went down early in the year and Draymond Green has been in and out of the lineup all season. The silver lining for the golden team is that they have had a chance to discover some young talent like Eric Paschall, who even going back to his Villanova days has always reminded me of a bigger and slightly more athletic Draymond Green, ironically enough.
They also look to be well on their way to securing a top draft pick in the next NBA draft. As we said before, the Warriors are sort of in a rebuild mode.