This year, the Miami Heat have really been living up to their name. In each of their games, they have turned on the heat and have been incredible defensively.
Their three point shooting started off a little cold, but they have also started to heat up in that area as well. The way that they are playing right now, the Miami Heat can’t be stopped.
However, all good things must come to an end.
While it is important to look at all the things that have gone well for the Heat, it is equally important to understand their weaknesses.
Just like every other team in the NBA, they have them. Eventually, one team will outplay the Heat and put out their fire.
For now, they remain on a hot win streak. So, what teams have the best chance to outplay the Miami Heat?
Here are three teams that the Heat should definitely circle on their calendar. If they don’t bring the heat like they have in nearly every game this season, they might be in trouble for these games.
Miami Heat: 3 Opponents Who’ll Look To Put Out Their Fire
It’s no secret that the biggest reason for Miami’s success so far has been their impeccable defense. Anchored by Bam Adebayo, with Jimmy Butler along the perimeter and in the passing lanes, the Heat have improved their defensive coordination.
As a result, they have limited teams to total scores that are considered low in the modern era of NBA scoring. The quickness and versatility of all of their defenders allows them to switch on screens nearly every time.
Even when they do this, there are rarely mismatches and this allows them to have an easier time guarding players on the perimeter. The Miami Heat are the best defensive team in the NBA.
Utah Jazz
But the next best defense is that of the Utah Jazz. Largely due to Rudy Gobert, the Jazz are also hard to score against.
Bam Adebayo is a focal part on both ends of the floor for the Heat, but he might have a harder time scoring against Gobert. So far in his career, he has generally struggled against the Jazz center.
Adebayo isn’t the only one who might struggle. If Miami isn’t making their threes, they will usually look to attack the basket and score inside.
That is much harder to accomplish with Gobert sitting in the paint. Last year in the playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers exposed Gobert by hitting threes and bringing him out to the perimeter.
If you want to beat the Jazz, you will have to shoot well. There’s no other way around it.
They are too good for the Heat to get away with a poor shooting performance. If Miami’s shooters don’t come out strong, this could be a tough game to win.
The Miami Heat play the Utah Jazz on November 6 and then again a week later, on November 13.
Miami Heat: If They Aren’t Careful, Then The Chicago Bulls Could Clip Them
This is going to be restated a lot until the problem truly gets fixed, but the Heat’s biggest issue right now is their three point shooting. Before their game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Heat were shooting under 30 percent as a team.
Duncan Robinson, their best shooter, has not been making the open shots he typically drains. If a team is eager to take down the Heat, one way to do it is to outshoot them.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are a team with a lot of firepower. Their roster is stacked with talent.
This summer, they merged Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. So far, their recent additions have had a significant impact on Chicago’s success.
The Bulls have been winning a lot of games compared to some of their recent seasons. They are off to their best start since they had Michael Jordan.
In addition to the collection of stars that are featured in Chicago, the Bulls are also a good three point shooting team. Currently, they have one of the best team three point percentages in the NBA.
Lavine is probably their best shooter, in terms of volume shooting, but there are plenty of other players who have been shooting the ball well. For example, Alex Caruso is currently shooting 50 percent from deep range.
Lonzo Ball, who used to be a poor shooter, is becoming a reliable shooter for Chicago with 7.2 attempts per game. The Bulls are one of the few teams in the NBA that have been off to as hot of a start as the Heat.
If the meeting between Miami and Chicago becomes a shootout, there is a chance that the Bulls could have the slight edge in this matchup. It is important that Miami brings the tenacity on defense to secure victories against the Bulls this year.
The Miami Heat play the Chicago Bulls on November 27.
Miami Heat: With Steph Curry Doing His Thing, The Warriors Can Beat Anyone
Like the Bulls, the Warriors can outshoot the Heat. There is no need to explain and if so, Stephen Curry is the greatest three point shooter to ever live.
Golden State Warriors
That’s it. It is just a known fact.
What makes Curry an even greater threat is that he is also an all-time great scorer. Last season, he won his second scoring title and this year, he is averaging just below 30 points per game.
The Miami Heat will need to place extra focus on him (and probably an extra defender too) just to limit him.
During their championship runs last decade, the slogan “Strength in Numbers” became a very popular way to describe the Warriors’ depth. This year, their roster is, once again, filled with talent.
Of course, there is Draymond Green and Klay Thompson (who should be available when the Heat play the Warriors), but they also have younger players like Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga.
Other notable players that can put up numbers are James Wiseman, Otto Porter, and Andrew Wiggins. The Warriors are already playing well right now, so imagine how good they will be once they get Klay Thompson back.
As a reminder, he is one of the purest catch-and-shoot shooters to ever live. At his full health, he is an all-star with solid perimeter defense.
The Heat must bring their A-game to beat the Warriors. The Miami Heat will play the Golden State Warriors on January 3.
If the Miami Heat play to their peaks, they can win all of these games. However, if they aren’t focused headed into any of them, any of them can also be defeats.