Miami Heat: How a December 22nd Start Date Effects This Team
By Sam Allen
The Miami Heat just finished it seems, but a new season is on the horizon. Let’s take a look at a few of the impacts of the decision.
We won’t have to wait much longer for more Miami Heat basketball after all.
A December 22nd start date is all but decided for the start of the 2020-2021 NBA regular season. While this is great for fans and for the league, it could have a negative effect on teams that just got done playing in the playoffs.
The big question is, why such a quick turnaround? The short answer is, like most answers, money. The league had the right to rip up the current CBA if owners and players could not agree upon a start date for the new season.
Players wanted to start the season closer to MLK Day in January and have around a 50 game season. That would also mean less money for the league and for the players.
The Miami Heat have a quick turnaround after the announcement of the NBA’s starting date.
The NBA’s big goal is to save the 2021 season, which means they had to start the 2020 season early.
For the Heat, a quick turnaround is not ideal. It seems like yesterday that Miami was finishing up Game 6 in the NBA finals and now they have to gear up for a 72-game regular season. With players like Jimmy Butler playing big minutes in the playoffs and Goran Dragic coming off a foot injury, it would have been nice to give those guys more rest before the start of next season.
But this is Miami. This team won’t make any excuses and they’ll pick up right where they left off.
The nice part for the Miami Heat is that they are relatively deep. I know Jimmy doesn’t like load management, but it would be smart if coach Spoelstra brought Butler back easy.
Miami will also have the opportunity to bring new players in via free agency, the draft, and through trades. Even though a majority of this squad played big minutes last season, reinforcements could be on the way before the start of next season.
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A new start isn’t all bad. With Miami’s hot end to the season, it will be nice to see guys like Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson start playing soon again.
Those two, along with Kendrick Nunn, played so well last season. Hopefully, they have improved in this short offseason and will pick up right where they left off.