The Philadelphia 76ers have already set a new standard that the rest of the Eastern Conference may already be chasing, including the Miami Heat.
Through two games, the 76ers have been every bit the Eastern Conference newcomer that the Heat hopes they can evolve into. If nothing else, the 76ers have set a high bar for the Heat to aim for this early in the season.
The 76ers' impressive first two wins over the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers also send the message that the Eastern Conference is there for the taking, even for a newcomer. At this point, it's difficult not to be incredibly impressed by what the 76ers have been able to do. I'm not sure if they should be considered the favorites, but they're awfully close to what one would expect after the first few days of the regular season.
The 76ers have set the bar for the Heat as an Eastern Conference favorite
Admittedly, if the Heat want to get to the 76ers' early-season level, they certainly have some steps to take of their own. Especially after the way the Heat looked on opening night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As difficult as that game might've been to watch for many Heat fans, it'd be foolish for Heat fans to lose all hope after their opening-night loss. Even though that's what it feels like as the national narrative continues to push doom and gloom for Miami, the Heat will ultimatley have the final say in all that.
Thankfully, Miami has a great opportunity to shift the narrative again. With a clash against the Detroit Pistons on deck, the Heat could send a strong message of their own on Friday night. If they can find a way to beat one of the Eastern Conference favorites, there's no question that the tide will begin to shift in Miami.
But even if they don't, it's not the end of the world for the Heat.
The 76ers certainly look quite promising after their first two games of the season, and many will consider them the favorites to come out of the East right now, but the Heat's experiment with Giannis Antetokounmpo was never expected to be an easy one.
Most understood that, even after the acquisition of Giannis, the Heat were still very much a work in progress.
Just because the Heat hit some rough patches to start the season, that doesn't mean they're going to be bad and that the trade for Giannis was a mistake. In a perfect world, sure, it'd be great if the Heat were as far along in development as the 76ers are.
The reality is, they're not, and they need more time to gel. And that's OK.
But that also doesn't mean that the 76ers haven't given the Heat something to aim for. It's a high bar that they've set, but it should also give the Heat some confidence that they can get there.
Add us as a preferred source on Google