You never root for injury in sports. But sometimes, injuries can completely change the outlook of a season. For the Miami Heat, an injury to Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Darius Garland could end up benefiting them in a big way, especially in where they stand in Eastern Conference hierarchy.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Garland is expected to miss 4-5 months after undergoing surgery to repair a toe injury. With that timeline, there's at least an outside chance that Garland could end up missing the start of the season. If that does happen, it will greatly impact not only the Cleveland Cavaliers, but also play a role in where the Heat ranks in the East heading into the start of the 2025-26 NBA campaign.
The Eastern Conference as a whole has been decimated by injuries. Three of the top 5 teams from the regular season East standings from this past season are expected to be without a key player (at least) to start the season, and quite possibly much longer.
Where the Heat stands in the East
The Boston Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum, the Milwaukee Bucks will be without Damian Lillard, and now the Cavs will miss Garland for some time. It certainly adds more intrigue to the offseason as far as the Eastern Conference is concerned. The door is open for a team to make a big move up the East hierarchy. Could that be the Heat?
To be perfectly honest, that's probably the biggest reason behind thought process of the Heat feeling they're a Kevin Durant acquisition away from making noise in the East. It's hard to argue against the Heat on that front. With all due respect to the Indiana Pacers, who are currently representing the conference in the NBA Finals, the East is wide open.
These key injuries only cement that claim. Sure, Garland is probably expected to be back by December, at the latest. But his absence will surely have an impact on the team's start to the season. And that small window of opportunity is what the Heat could be banking on.
Miami doesn't believe in rebuilding the conventional way. They're always been a team that has feasted on retooling on the fly. If Pat Riley is able to pull it off one more time this offseason, you can't help but wonder if the window is open enough for the Heat to make a beeline up the East standings.
The Heat (and many other teams in the East) have to be excited about the possibilities that next season could hold. The East is wide open, and while you never root for injuries, there's no question that the Heat caught a major break with how the landscape of the East looks at the moment.