Miami Heat: 4 Immediate Eastern Conference Playoff Threats- Philadelphia 76ers
Philly is another foe to keep an eye on. While the Heat recently took care of them when they came into town, their newest star, James Harden, didn’t play.
Philadelphia
When fully staffed this Philadelphia 76ers team can be downright and legitimately scary. The Harden-Joel Embiid fit has gone better than most have might’ve anticipated, while Joel himself, is the favorite for the league’s coveted Most Valuable Player award.
All of that is a challenge on its own but there are also other dynamic elements to be concerned with surrounding the team from Philly.
One of the main cogs to watch is Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey is averaging 21 points over the last ten games and shoots 51.1 percent from three across that time. The other two stars have iffy playoff histories but this time they might have someone that can save them.
If this matchup happens, it will take clever coaching and resilience to get through it. The Miami Heat are capable but it could also go seven games.
Again though, this team doesn’t have the most trustworthy playoff history among their key components, specifically with all of Harden’s, Embiid’s, and their coach, Doc River’s, past playoff shortcomings.