The Miami Heat have almost been the butt of the joke throughout this season. From the talk of last season’s run throughout the bubble being a “fluke” to the many questions, and rightfully so, about their shaky play thus far into the season, there has been a ton of talk surrounding last season’s NBA Eastern Conference Champions.
However, with that same talk that has surrounded them, in a not so good way, you must also be fair and consider the circumstances they have had to encounter. From the short turnaround of last season, to this season’s COVID health and safety protocols, to regular injury, they have dealt with a ton of everything already in this season.
That’s not to ask for charity, that’s to be sure we are having a discussion with clarity. It doesn’t matter though, they’ll still be sized up with a different measuring stick and that’s fine.
The Miami Heat are held and judged by different standards and it’s apparent, but ok.
As the Miami Heat struggled to get out of the gate, dealing with everything under the sun and as we’ve mentioned, no one gave them any passes. As the Boston Celtics in the Heat’s own conference and the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that defeated the Heat in last season’s NBA Finals, are dealing with their own struggles right now, everyone seems to want to make excuses for them.
Listen, what’s good for the goose should be good for the gander, correct? It doesn’t seem that way.
Here’s one piece of evidence, as documented by Miami sports talk host, Brendan Tobin. Take this attempted comparison for example by ESPN’s Max Kellerman from First Take.
If you take a peep at the clip, it’s literally amazing, but at least Stephen A. Smith was there to remind him. So, when they are struggling, the Miami Heat are the example but when other teams are having a semblance of success and the Heat aren’t, the Heat are a fluke?
That doesn’t seem fair. That’s because it isn’t.
That’s ok though. The Miami Heat aren’t judged the same and that fits the actual narrative of things as well, because they aren’t built the same as an organization.
Their relatively large amount of success in relatively short time as a franchise indicates that fact. That’s no matter what set of standards you use.