Miami Heat: 3 ways NBA suspension could hurt them outside of not playing

With the season suspension underway, the Miami Heat are just like every other team right now, or are they? Here are three ways suspension could hurt them.

The Miami Heat were well on their way to a top seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference and then it all happened. For the safety, greater good, and overall health of everyone involved, from the players to the coaches, to other league and/or team employees, to the fans, it had to be done.

While many sports fans are sitting around twiddling their thumbs at the moment, some NBA teams may be taking this break in stride, using it to improve and get better. The Miami Heat are in that number.

With the league making it alright to practice, we recently detailed a couple of reasons that this suspension could be positive for the Miami Heat. Hopefully, some or most of that is absolutely true.

With that in mind, however, the Miami Heat are likely not the only team planning to use this time wisely. Here are three reasons, in the form of other teams, that the suspension could serve as a negative for Miami.

Toronto Raptors Might Find The Reset Button

Although the Toronto Raptors have won their last four games, they had a 15 game win streak that lasted practically a month before being broken up prior to going on this latest mini-streak. While they may have already found what they needed to get things back on track, this suspension should definitely allow them the necessary time to exhale and reset.

While that may be the best thing for them, it certainly isn’t for the Miami Heat, as to see them falter was like seeing glowing chinks in the armor of the greatest knight. This is the first reason why the suspension might be a negative for the Heat.

Boston Celtics Might Finally Figure Out Who They Are

The Boston Celtics are a good team with a ton of talent. They have the talent, the playmakers, and the shot-making to compete with and beat anybody if they come with their A-game. 

While the issue has been a bit convoluted, seeming sometimes about chemistry and sometimes about “who’s the man”, it all boils down to one thing. The Celtics don’t really know who they are as a team.

This is the only thing that would allow you to have that much talent, that many guys who can flat out get it done, and still be in such a waffling position. If the C’s can finally figure it all out, that may mean devastation for the rest of the Eastern Conference. That is the second reason why this suspension could be bad for Miami.

Philadelphia 76ers might get healthy

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a pain in the Miami Heat’s neck for at least the last three seasons, or perhaps, the other way around. The Miami Heat haven’t been in the same conversation with Philly, as far as overall talent level and ability over the past few seasons, but this year is a different story.

The thing that is keeping Philly from being as good as they can be this season is the thing that has kept them from being as good as they can be over the past few years. Their stars seemed to be built of papier-mache.

With the latest report, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN, indicating that Ben Simmons doesn’t know if he’ll even return this season, they won’t even give another update until April sometime. Although Joel Embiid did return immediately prior to the suspension being put in place, how long will it be before he is injured again? Who knows?

What we do know, however, is that this time away from the court might be just enough time for them to get as healthy as they need to be to compete. That would be bad for the Miami Heat, as no matter the record, a team with that much talent is always a threat.

The Miami Heat are in the same scenario that all other teams are, idle. Hopefully, they find ways to be constructive with their newfound free time, as individual players and as a unit. These, however, have been the reasons why this suspension could be negative for the Heat.