Miami Heat Roundtable: Will The Heat’s Bench Be Key In The Game?
The time has come. Miami Heat Basketball is back.
Victor’s Take – (@TheRaunchyRonch)
After months of waiting and a forgettable end to last season, the good guys are once again ready for another run at the title. But as fate would have it, it’s going to be an early test for them, as standing in their way to start the campaign are the defending NBA Champions.
Fresh off of their opening night win against the Brooklyn Nets are the Milwaukee Bucks, who will surely give the Miami Heat all that they can handle on Thursday. All eyes will be on this 2021 Eastern Conference First Round rematch, but the South Beach team is a different beast now.
The retooled squad definitely has what it takes to win it all — at least on paper. And the first game of the season can be seen as an early hurdle to overcome, to prove their worth, and silence the critics.
It will also be a preview of what Miami Heat Faithful can expect from their team this season and the likes of Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker, and Markieff Morris, all playing in front of the best fans in the world.
The biggest challenge they’ll face is obviously defending the reigning Finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He also has one of the best supporting casts in the NBA, led by Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Brook Lopez.
A tall order for sure, but not impossible to overcome. Here are some of the keys to winning:
Controlling The Pace: With the Miami Heat having a smaller lineup, running on every possible opportunity is vital. Having Lowry, Jimmy Butler, and even Bam Adebayo leading the break will result in easy baskets, which could be the difference between winning and losing.
Gang Rebounding: Bam Adebayo is an All-Star for a reason. But, he can’t do it alone by getting all the rebounds for the team.
He’ll need everyone boxing-out and snatching some boards. If the Miami Heat win the rebound battle, they’re tougher to beat and that definitely stands in the opener.
Bench Production: The Miami Heat have added some players who are all capable of contributing whenever their names are called. Tyler Herro, Dewayne Dedmon, Max Strus, Omer Yurtseven, and Caleb Martin are just some of them, while all of them could play crucial roles for the team all season long.
It won’t hurt to see their immediate impact from the start of the campaign. Nothing short of a barn burner is expected from Thursday night’s matchup, as even the NBA marked this as a must-watch game.
While the visiting team may still be high after recently receiving their rings, the Miami Heat could see this as a chance to send a strong message across and not just to the Milwaukee Bucks, but to the rest of the league as well.
Of course, we expect the Miami Heat to take the W on the night. The home-advantage, fresher legs, a chip on their shoulders, and all the players raring to go are more than enough reasons to believe owning a 1-0 record is just around the corner.
Final Result And Score: Miami Heat Win, 126-122
These are our predictions and hopefully, the Miami Heat can make good on them.