NBA Power Rankings come along every NBA season. Since the Miami Heat made a ton of moves this summer, most people have them ranked fairly high on their list.
Almost every news outlet makes a list that ranks all 30 teams in order of who they believe has the best chance to win the NBA championship. Though some tend to look similar, every list has some sort of variation in it.
NBC Sports and CBS sports both released their rankings in recent weeks. They ranked the Miami Heat as the seventh and sixth-best team in the NBA, respectively.
Well, Sports Illustrated just put out their rankings ahead of the 2022 NBA season. Just like CBS Sports, they listed the Miami Heat as the sixth-best team in the league.
SI gives a solid explanation as to why they have the Heat sixth, noting that the Nets and Bucks are still overwhelming favorites in the East. That being said, they also acknowledge how much of a force the Heat are going to be in the playoffs.
"“Perhaps Miami won’t blow the doors off teams in the regular season, but is there anyone that wants to take on this team in the playoffs?… Brooklyn and Milwaukee still enter next year as the East favorites by a solid margin. Don’t tell that to Erik Spoelstra’s squad next summer.”"
The Miami Heat built a team that no one else is going to want to mess with this year. Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, Jimmy Butler, and Markieff Morris are all super aggressive players who aren’t afraid to leave it all on the floor.
SI took notice of this team composition and evidently took it into account when making their rankings. Most outlets just note the team’s potential talent, so it’s nice to see some recognition for their toughness.
The five teams listed above the Miami Heat are the Suns, Jazz, Lakers, Bucks, and Nets. There is an argument to be made to put the Miami Heat above some of these teams, but considering the success, most of them had last year, it’s a relatively fair ranking.
As more power rankings come funneling in, be sure to keep checking in for updates. It’s fascinating to see where the major outlets put the Miami Heat in their rankings.