The Miami Heat are headed into a winner take all matchup for the NBA’s Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics. With Boston dismissing the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday afternoon, they earned the right to head down to Miami on Tuesday night for Game 1.
Being one of the best teams in the entire league for the final 25 games of the regular season or so, the Boston Celtics would advance through two of the favorite teams to get to this point. Dismantling the Brooklyn Nets in Round 1, sweeping them out of the NBA Postseason, the Boston Celtics would then be taken to the brink by the Greek Freak and company.
Still though, their toughest task remains. Facing off against the top-seeded Miami Heat, a team that’s also been among the best all season, and whether anyone wants to admit it or not, they will be tested for the entirety of the series, in each minute, in each moment, and each possession of the four or more games.
With that, it’s now the time that everyone has been waiting for. In general, everyone has wanted to know how things in a tough and crazy Eastern Conference might shake out.
Specifically though, let’s get to the reason you are here today. Here is the latest AUCH Roundtable, where we predict the results of the 2022 NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
Miami Heat: Predicting ECF Results, Games Played, And MVP – Isiah’s Take
It’s still somewhat unbelievable that we will not bear witness to a potential Trilogy between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks.
Isiah’s Take (@IsiahCurry)
For several months, the Heat had been clamoring to dethrone the defending champions, but in the end, another team was able to do it for them.
As we now look ahead for what’s official, the Heat will open this year’s Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. With the NBA set to crown both a new Eastern and world champion within the next few weeks, this will certainly be Miami’s toughest series yet.
Dating back to January, the Celtics reincarnated into an elite defensive team and very quickly, they propelled through the top NBA rankings, eventually joining Miami as one of the best teams overall. With Miami undefeated at the FTX Arena this postseason, what will immediately hold the utmost importance for this series will be their home-court advantage.
If they can win two at home and snatch another at TD Garden, this series is theirs to win with a commanding 3-1 lead. Of course, that’ll be much easier said than done.
Outside of the Celtics’ defensive backing, which has been ignited by Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and head coach Ime Udoka, they still hold a prolific two-headed offensive tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Ultimately, Miami will win this series in six games.
They consist of greater championship-level experience as well as a winning head coach in Erik Spoelstra. If Jimmy Butler can sustain his level of play as the best overall player on the court, he’ll earn himself Most Valuable in the conference finals.
It’ll also take a collective scoring and shooting effort from the reserves, such as Tyler Herro, who is no stranger to key performances against Boston. This truly has all the makings of an all-time classic series.
Prediction: Miami wins 4-2. Jimmy Butler wins Conference Finals MVP.
Miami Heat: Predicting ECF Results, Games Played, And MVP – Max’s Take
The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.
Max’s Take (@maxmarshall136)
So, Miami finally has an opponent after resting the past couple of days due to defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.
Miami vs Boston is going to be a tough series. It’s going to be chippy at times and include a lot of flopping.
This is an Eastern Conference rematch from the bubble as well. Both teams have surprised a lot of people this year.
Boston struggled the first half of the year and looked like a first-round exit but in credit to everyone involved, they changed their season around in the second half of the year.
Everyone knows how the national media is towards Miami. You know they’re still not giving Miami any credit, even though they are in the ECF.
But, if Miami fans are honest, you wouldn’t want it any other way. This is going to be a very interesting series with a lot of storylines.
Miami defeated Boston back in 2020, so it’s still fairly new. Both teams have made roster tweaks and even coaching changes from Boston.
If you like defense, then this is the series for you, as both teams are elite defenses. It will be hard to score in this round.
Miami will have to contain Jayson Tatum, who has made another leap in his game this season. Another name you’d like Miami to keep an eye on, especially from the corner, is Jaylen Brown.
Is it just me or does it feel that the last time Boston and Miami played in the playoffs, Brown wouldn’t miss from the corner? If you’re Miami, you want the ball in Marcus Smarts’ hands.
Smart has been better than presumed playing point guard but in the postseason, Smart has the tendency to take over the game in a negative way. Miami should let Smart think he’s the best player on the team.
Another thing to be noticed about Boston’s ball handlers is that they like to take their time bringing up the ball. Miami needs to pressure ball handlers to get that eight count.
Miami has two x-factors in Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson. With Lowry still nursing his hamstring, it will be interesting to see if he comes back in this series.
In the last series, he wasn’t ready to come back yet and played anyway, which is a credit to him. Miami definitely needs him back on the court for this one, but you need him to have, somewhat, of an impact.
In Robinson, we know that he’s had an up and down year and the same goes for his postseason thus far. Robinson, against Boston two years ago, was really impactful for Miami.
If Robinson plays and can stay out of foul trouble, there is a game that Robinson can swing. Duncan should stay ready for his name to be called in this series.
There are two things that concern me. Miami does struggle in the halfcourt at times and with Boston having a really good defense, it could cause Miami problems.
Miami has to be crisp in the halfcourt. The last time around, Bam Adebayo went to work against Boston bigs.
I am going to be interested in Adebayo against Boston’s bigs this time around though, especially with Robert Willams not being consistently in with knee soreness. It’s likely that Adebayo will be defended by Al Horford, who has been playing very well this year and especially in the playoffs.
Adebayo needs to win that matchup though and that’s pretty simple.
Tyler Herro hasn’t had the postseason that many thought he would have but this is a great time to start looking like the Sixth Man Of The Year again. Miami will need Herro to score at all three levels.
You’d like to see Herro attack the rim to get to his floater. Once he can see the ball go in a couple of times, then he should do what he does as well as any other part of his game this year—let it fly from three.
Will Boston double Herro like Philadelphia did in the last series or will they double Jimmy Butler, who has been the best player in the playoffs? That’s a good question, but either way, you should have all the faith in the world in Butler right now.
After the playoffs that he’s had, it’s hard not to. Also, homecourt advantage will matter.
Prediction: Miami wins 4-3. Jimmy Butler wins Conference Finals MVP.
Miami Heat: Predicting ECF Results, Games Played, And MVP – Colton’s Take
The number one seed in the East is in for a junkyard brawl in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Colton’s Take (@CMoleskyNBC15)
The Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics is a heavyweight boxing match for the ages, pitting the number one team in defensive rating (Boston) against the number four team (Miami).
The Celtics, fresh off a gritty series against the current best player in the world, watched Jayson Tatum grow into a true NBA blue-chip piece. He showed that he actually has the mustard to be the player that makes a roster a true championship contender.
He really is him. In the other corner, Jimmy Butler is putting together a truly insane playoff run.
Butler is averaging nearly 29 points, eight rebounds, and five assists on 52 percent shooting and 2.1 steals per game.
Not only does each side have a prizefighter, but both rosters are incredibly deep. Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard were instrumental in a Game 7 win over the defending champions.
Max Strus and Victor Oladipo played better off Miami’s bench than James Harden for the Philadelphia 76ers. With so many variables, I give Miami the slight edge.
Each team needs a variety of role players to go off for a win and homecourt advantage will make a huge difference in a potential Game 7. That seventh, eighth, and ninth guy plays a lot better at home in game seven.
That’s key to this series.
Prediction: Miami wins 4-3. Jimmy Butler wins Conference Finals MVP.
Miami Heat: Predicting ECF Results, Games Played, And MVP – Kenneth’s Take
The Miami Heat have a super tough task before them. Facing off against a Boston Celtics squad that beat them, 2-1, in the season series, they will renew that rivalry, once again, in these Eastern Conference Finals.
Kenneth’s Take (@K_Said_Que)
Speaking of the season series though, the Miami Heat were able to win the most recent matchup between the two. In a game near the end of the regular season and where things were closer to equal as they had been in any matchup earlier in the year, the Miami Heat proceeded to go into Boston and come away with a tough gritty victory over a surging Boston Celtics squad at the time.
That meant something. There are also several other factors that play into this one.
If you looked at the most key elements of winning in any professional sports playoffs, the Miami Heat have the edge. When it comes to experience, as players and coaches, you have to take the Miami Heat’s pedigree from guys like P.J. Tucker, Kyle Lowry, and Markieff Morris, guys that have all won titles.
Heck, when you look at the deep run the Miami Heat made in the NBA Bubble, culminating in a Conference Finals matchup with these same Celtics, that gives the rest of the guys like Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and the rest of the crew a certain level of couth in the situation too.
When it comes to coaching, Erik Spoelstra, no doubt, has the experience factor clinched. Next, who can be the best player on the floor?
While Jayson Tatum is a better offensive talent, Jimmy Butler is the better overall player at the moment and has been throughout these playoffs. Tatum might give you 30, but Jimmy will give you 24 and limit the opposing best player to under 20.
That’s a value in itself. Lastly, the guy that really helped make them into the defense they are, Robert Williams, isn’t nearly 100 percent.
Sitting out quite a few games against Milwaukee, they were able to get it done with Al Horford and Grant Williams. Can they hold up to do that again?
That goes especially against a team that is, as tough or tougher, than they are and one that will constantly attack your cup to bludgeon you to death behind Jimmy Butler? I don’t know about that.
You can call it the homer pick or you can just take what has been said into full account.
Prediction: Miami wins 4-2. Jimmy Butler wins Conference Finals MVP.
The Miami Heat have a tough task before them, but they can get it done. They are built for this.
This is what the Miami Heat Culture is all about. When the chips are all pushed in, are you willing to be more gritty, harder working, and tougher than your opponents for the entirety of a game, sequence, or series?
That’s what the Culture is. The Miami Heat know that and should be down for it all.
Let’s get it going already!