The ideal pathway for the Miami Heat to make the NBA Finals: Conference Finals – Brooklyn Nets
Obviously, the best possible outcome is that both of these teams get eliminated before the Conference Finals. However, that is extremely unlikely to happen.
This means that, when choosing the ideal matchup, one has to pick their poison. If they got to choose, the Miami Heat should rather face the Nets rather than the Bucks.
While the Heat are definitely better equipped to take down the Bucks this year, they match up better with Brooklyn. It comes down to a basic debate of offense vs defense.
The Nets are very clearly a better offensive team than the Bucks. However, the Bucks are lightyears ahead of the Nets when it comes to defense.
Miami is elite on the defensive end, but they clearly struggle on offense at times. So, if they have to choose between an offensive juggernaut and a defensive juggernaut, they should choose to face the offensive juggernaut.
While it would be no easy task to shut down Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, it would probably be much harder for them to score on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday.
It’s a simple risk and reward scenario. Fans should be wanting to take the risk on defense rather than on offense because the Heat are better on the defensive end.
Realistically, neither team will be easy to take down in a seven-game series. However, if the Miami Heat had the choice, the Nets would probably be the easier matchup.