The date was September 8th, 2020, when the Miami Heat eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Eight months later, a rematch between two of the Eastern Conference’s most competitive teams will happen in the first-round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
The sixth-seeded Heat will face the third-seeded Bucks, for what could potentially be the most intriguing matchup in the opening round. It was the first time since the 2009-10 season where a first-seeded team was eliminated in the second-round of the playoffs, dating back to when the two-seeded Boston Celtics defeated the one-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in six games.
However, last year’s Heat team wasn’t a second seed, nor were they your ordinary fifth seed. The Heat dismantled the Bucks in a very convincing fashion and their success was predicated in their communication, hustle, and relentlessness on defense, holding the top-ranked offensive team in the league to just 43 percent shooting.
A key highlight of Miami’s tremendous defense was in Game Three, where the Heat held Bucks superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, to just 7-of-21 shooting to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. While the Bucks managed to avoid a series-sweep, an ankle injury held Antetokounmpo out of the second-half of Game Four and ultimately, the entirety of Milwaukee’s elimination in Game Five.
Those outstanding efforts on Giannis should primarily be credited to Heat Center Bam Adebayo, Andre Iguodala, and Jae Crowder, who Miami lost in free agency to the Phoenix Suns after acquiring the veteran Forward at the 2020 Trade Deadline.
The Miami Heat will need another massive Jimmy Butler showing in the first round of the 2021 playoffs.
Miami received some outstanding superstar play from Jimmy Butler in last season’s series. With a 40-point performance in Game One, Butler led the eventual Eastern Conference Champions with 23.4 points per game on 53 percent shooting, and also led both teams in total steals (9).
A total of five players averaged double-figures for the Heat in this series. With key performances from Goran Dragic, who was Miami’s second-leading scorer in the Semi-Finals with 19.8 points per game and Tyler Herro, born in Milwaukee, he continued his outstanding rookie campaign with 13.2 points on 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Now, heading into the 2021 postseason, the NBA’s highest scoring team is seeking payback and retribution for an opponent who defeated them so easily.
IN THE NBA, THE BUCKS RANK:
- First in Points (120.1 points)
- Third in Field-Goal Percentage (48.7 percent)
- Second in Rebounds (48.1)
- Eighth in Steals (8.1)
- 29th in Fewest Personal Fouls (17.3)
Both organizations have had considerable roster changes since the Semi-Finals. Miami has the losses of Crowder, Derrick Jones Jr, and more recently, Meyers Leonard and Kelly Olynyk. Milwaukee has the losses of Wesley Matthews, Kyle Korver, and George Hill.
The Bucks, however, have revamped their roster by acquiring veterans P.J Tucker, Bobby Portis, Brynn Forbes, Jeff Teague, D.J. Augustin, and former All-Star Point Guard Jrue Holiday, for what’s been an upgrade over their previous starting guard, Eric Bledsoe, now in New Orleans.
Milwaukee’s improvements at just about every position have been manifested and the Heat must prioritize in the following areas if they wish to eliminate Milwaukee once again.
The Miami Heat will have their work cut out for them on defense, as stopping Giannis is a full-time job.
The Miami Heat have a ton on their plates heading into this series. One of them is dealing with a near-seven foot locomotive called The Greek Freak Express.
THERE’S JUST NO STOPPING A HEALTHY GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO.
For a player who’s categorized as the most dominant interior force since Shaquille O’Neal (Zion Williamson may have an answer to this), the Heat should expect the reigning back-to-back winner of the Most Valuable Player award to play in this series with a vengeance. There had to be an immense amount of frustration to go through the process of entering the Bubble with attainable title aspirations prior to the pandemic, only to be sent home early by a team which very few predicted would prevail.
However, the past is the past and the Heat are going to see an even more motivated Greek Freak. A strategy to slow down a 6’11” athletic phenomenon such as Giannis, who’s officially entering his prime at 26 years old, is to force him to take perimeter shots.
Although the confidence in his jumper is growing, Antetokounmpo still struggles shoot to consistently from outside. However, if he chooses to lower the shoulder and drive inside, the Heat must have prepare their defenders to rotate, with Trevor Ariza likely having sole responsibility.
It should also be noted that Antetokounmpo remains a poor free-throw shooter, so a few hard fouls are necessary to send him to the line. This is much easier said than done, especially when coach Erik Spoelstra runs his usual smaller lineups.
Miami will have their work cut out for them by defending one of the game’s elite players. Surely, they’re up for the challenge though.
In his first season with the Bucks, Jrue Holiday averaged 17.1 points and 6.1 assists. And while it was his lowest scoring output since the 2016-17 season, it’s been his most efficient year shooting the ball — with career-highs of 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from outside the arc.
HOLIDAY IS THE TRUE ‘X FACTOR’ FOR MILWAUKEE.
Holiday is considered, by many, as the best defender in the league, holding a nightly responsibility of defending the opposing team’s best scorer. While his lateral quickness and timing are impeccable, Miami should expect Holiday to switch onto multiple players in this series, including Adebayo, as Holiday is more-than-capable of denying larger players in the post.
Holiday is an unquestionable X-Factor in this series. However, Holiday’s shot-creating and playmaking abilities continue to be overlooked, as he’s not just a lockdown defender.
With an uncanny ability to get to any spot on the floor, this gives the Bucks a legitimate third-option in this series. In the Bucks’ first meeting against Miami in December, Holiday scored 24 points and added seven assists while shooting 6-10 from three, en route to a 47-point win over the Heat.
PLEASE CLOSE-OUT ON BROOK LOPEZ!
For those who watched even a portion of last year’s series, Brook Lopez was absolutely lethal against the Heat defense. While drawing a few four-point plays and scoring in the low-post, Lopez was one of Milwaukee’s few bright spots during the Semi-Finals.
As the Bucks’ third leading-scorer, he averaged 18.2 points, shot 13-for-28 from three, and finished with a True-Shooting Percentage of 65 percent in the second round. While developing insanely-deep range over the years, Lopez has remained as on of the Bucks’ primary floor spacers, while Antetokounmpo and others can penetrate to do their work inside.
Lopez isn’t the only guy who can get it done from outside either. They have more in the tank.
CAN’T FORGET MIDDLETON… HE’S STILL THAT DUDE!
Although the Heat’s defensive efforts on Kris Middleton were about as good as you could ask for last year, Miami will have to contain Middleton once again if they want to win this series. In wake of Antetokounmpo’s injury in Game Four, a 36-point performance from Middleton was the potential start of a series-comeback for Milwaukee.
Thankfully for the Heat, they were able to hunker down and close the series in Game Five, holding Middleton to just 8-for-25 shooting in the series clincher. Middleton, who remains as one of the league’s premier isolation scorers, has had some huge moments against the Heat in the past.
However, an underrated improvement in Middleton’s arsenal this year has been the ability to facilitate, dishing-out a career-high 5.4 assists per game. There’s much in question for the Heat to pull off an upset for the second-straight year, as they’re touted as the underdog once again.
Outside of Butler and Adebayo, can they get consistent shot-creation from their guards, particularly Kendrick Nunn and Goran Dragic? How disciplined will they be in zone coverage, all while defending one pass away?
Throughout these inconsistencies that we saw all season long, it seems that they’ve found their strides at the right time possible. It’s all going to be needed though for what could be a seven-game series.
While an already battle-tested group, Miami’s upcoming path to the NBA Finals looks to be a more difficult one, as if last year’s run wasn’t already challenging. Their first postseason obstacle lies in Milwaukee and odds must be defied.
They can though. It all starts with Game One, to be held on Saturday, May 22nd, 2021.
We can’t wait!