The Miami Heat are the top seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference at the moment and have been for some time now. However, riding that seeding out to the final straw might be something entirely different.
And while that seeding doesn’t guarantee anything at all in the playoffs, it might help in the overall likelihood of success. However, you still have to take it all into consideration, as recently insinuated by Miami Heat point guard, Kyle Lowry.
His sentiments, of getting the one seed in the regular season portion of the year, can’t be ignored. He said that regardless of the top seed, he’s “gotten swept, gotten the two seed, and gotten swept.”
Again though, it can’t hurt things, from a home-court perspective and to be sure you go into the playoffs full steam ahead and clicking on all cylinders to the greatest extent possible. With that thought in mind, what will it take for the Miami Heat to secure said position when the regular part of the year is all done?
Let’s take a look at the records, standings, and remaining schedules for the teams that could still compete for that top seed.
Miami Heat: 54 Wins Should Be Target Number To Seal One Seed
If you look at the number two and three teams in the conference, the teams you think can actually catch the Heat in the race, they would be the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Boston is only one game behind Philly at number four, however, they are four games back and have a tough 12 games to close the year, featuring Memphis, Utah, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Chicago, and the Miami Heat themselves.
When you look at Milwaukee(44-26) though, the initial read based on their remaining schedule is that they should be able to go 9-3 across their final 12 games, at best and 7-5, at the worst.
Facing Minnesota, Chicago twice, Memphis, Philly, Brooklyn, and those Celtics in that span—it won’t be easy.
As far as Philly(42-26) goes, they could go 11-3, at the very best, while they could also fall to 9-5 as well. They face a schedule that includes a potent Dallas team, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Cleveland, and the Miami Heat again too.
They have a less daunting challenge than Milwaukee, but they also are a bit behind them in the standings. If you look at the peak projections for each of the top two challenger’s final stretch of games, the Bucks could go 53-29 as the year closes based on maximizing the remainder of their schedule.
If you do the same for the Philadelphia 76ers, they could go as high as 53-29 themselves. Of course, there are always the conditional semantics of any situation to account for.
Miami Heat: They Have Easiest Remaining Schedule Of All Top Seed Contenders
It would not be crazy to see either of the teams go on a run to win more than the aforementioned projections, however, their schedules are tough and attrition has to play a part.
With those projections though, along with the Miami Heat’s current record of 46-24, they would need to get to 54 wins in order to, theoretically, seal the deal on the one seed. You want them to have the most wins, so tiebreakers don’t come into play, where one or both teams may beat the Heat out there depending on the remainder of the year.
Projecting for the Miami Heat and though that may be hard, at times, due to their tendency to play down more than they should, they still come through way more than they don’t, so it’s worth a shot. At their absolute peak, the Miami Heat can go 10-2 over their final 12 games, however, they should, at least, win eight of their final 12 contests.
That’s great, as they would only have to win eight more to put them at the needed 54 that should seal the deal.
They face the 76ers, a Warriors team down Steph Curry for two weeks with the foot injury, a full Nets squad, the resurgent Celtics, the enigmatic Hawks led by a guy who can explode on you for a big number in Trae Young, and a Bulls team they’ve owned this season.
Listen, the math isn’t complex and if you take inventory over the teams, the same fairness has been given to all of the above-described contenders for the top seed. It also can’t be stressed enough and as insinuated in the beginning, the top seed might not be the most important thing in the Miami Heat building.
It would certainly help though and if it is the intention, 54 wins should be the number to be able to get it for them.