Both ESPN and Bleacher Report are now labeling the Miami Heat as a championship contender. Something that wasn't a widely communicated narrative for the Heat, even after their splash acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo, has quickly gained traction now that training camps are set to open in a little more than two weeks.
First, it was Bleacher Report that came around to the idea that the Heat could be a contender in the Eastern Conference this season.
"The presence of a hopefully healthy and potentially very motivated Giannis Antetokounmpo means the Miami Heat have to be taken seriously as a threat to win the whole thing."
But it's not just BR that has seemingly changed its tune. Even ESPN is giving the Heat some love that it wasn't willing to offer just a few weeks ago. Labeled as a "high-upside Finals team," it does seem like Miami is getting more respect than at any point they've gotten this summer.
"The Heat could reach the Finals if Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. provide enough shooting and supplemental offense around the frontcourt stars."
The narrative has slowly begun to shift for the Miami Heat
Over the last few weeks, it does seem as if there's been a pretty stark change in the narrative surrounding the Heat. Again, even after the Heat had pulled off the move for Giannis at the start of the offseason, all summer long the conversation revolved around why the Heat weren't still a contender.
That even with Giannis, there were too many holes on the Heat's roster for them to realistically compete for a title this season. Then, suddenly, that all changed. The only reasonable explanation is that the moves the front office has managed to make since then have changed the temperature of the media.
The additions of Tim Hardaway Jr., Klay Thompson, and Nick Richards. The work that Davion Mitchell has chronicled during his time off. How impressive Pelle Larsson has looked all summer while playing for Team Sweden in FIBA competition.
Perhaps even a reminder of how good Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins still are. The fact that Erik Spoelstra is going to find a way to get the most out of the team because he seemingly always does.
It wasn't just the move for Giannis that changed the narrative around the Heat this season. It's everything they were able to pull off, in addition to Giannis, that has, all of a sudden, the rest of the league taking the Heat seriously as a contender.
And with the start of training camp a little more than two weeks away, the reality is that the Heat are much more than relevant again. They're championship contenders.
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