The time of year is here for all the major news outlets to release their NBA power rankings. The Miami Heat had a great offseason, so they should be fairly high up on most lists.
Well, NBC Sports released their power rankings just a few days ago. According to them, the Miami Heat are the sixth-best team in the NBA.
In the grand scheme of things, this is a solid ranking. However, when taking a look at some of the teams above and below them, they probably could be slotted in a few different places.
Directly above them, NBC Sports lists teams such as the Suns and Jazz. Meanwhile, they have the 76ers, Warriors, and Mavericks right below the Heat.
Kurt Helin, the author of the article, gave an explanation as to why he placed Miami where he did. To start it off, he praises them for a wildly successful offseason.
"My pick for the best offseason of any team… if we’re just looking at the coming season. Miami’s cap wizards in the front office improved the roster while keeping the heart of their strong young core. Father time may make them pay on the back end of the Kyle Lowry contract, same with the three-year Jimmy Butler max extension, but for the next two seasons this team has a chance, especially with P.J. Tucker in the mix."
He also went on to talk about how important Tyler Herro will be for them this season. If the Miami Heat want to go far this season, Herro will have to get back to the way he was playing in The Bubble.
As far as the teams surrounding Miami in the rankings, they could easily be placed above or below some of them. It’s just a matter of opinion.
For example, the Jazz may have had a great regular season last year, but how much does that matter if they can’t win in the playoffs. Rudy Gobert got exposed in the postseason and Utah lost to the Clippers.
On the contrary, the Warriors might end up shocking some people this year. With Klay Thompson back, they could be set up to be one of the top teams in the NBA.
Regardless, it will be interesting to see if the Miami Heat can live up to this ranking. Keep an eye out for any more power rankings, because you never know who may be underrating Miami.