Here at AllUCanHeat, we’ve already covered several angles of the Miami Heat’s regular-season schedule release, including their increase in nationally televised games and a road-heavy stretch to begin the season. Beyond those notes, there are three important questions I have about the upcoming schedule.
1. How will back-to-backs affect Jimmy Butler?
Games two and three for the Heat will be a back-to-back (Oct. 27 at Boston and 28 at Minnesota), and it will be interesting to see Miami’s approach to start the season. The Heat need to keep Jimmy Butler healthy throughout the season and have been open to Butler sitting out one night of a back-to-back set. Not so much should change this season. If Tyler Herro is still on the roster, he can look to score more when Butler rests. Same thing if Miami is able to acquire Damian Lillard.
2. What are the easiest/hardest months?
From examining the officially released schedule, it seems to be that November and January will be Miami’s most challenging months.
In November, Miami plays the Brooklyn Nets a whopping three times, and they also face the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Atlanta Hawks to start the month. The month ends with games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers.
In January, Miami starts the month with games against three Western Conference contenders: the L.A. Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns. Towards the end of January, Miami goes against the Grizzlies and Boston Celtics on a back-to-back. This isn’t where it stops, though, because, in addition to this back-to-back night, the Heat will end the month playing against Suns, Knicks and Sacramento Kings.
In between the two hardest months of the season, December should be one of the easier ones. They get the Hornets and Bulls twice each, plus games against the Magic and Hawks. The headliner in December is Miami’s Christmas game against the 76ers (but who knows what the 76ers will even look like given the James Harden fiasco). It gets a bit more challenging to round out the month, with games in Golden State and Utah.
3. How will the trade deadline impact the Heat?
The trade deadline should fall on Feb. 8, right before the All-Star break. Rumors are still flying about Lillard, but if the Blazers take a deal right to the deadline it’s going to be interesting to see how the Heat respond. Right after the deadline are games against the Celtics, Bucks and 76ers — a Murderers’ Row that will test the Heat and any of their potential changes.