The Miami Heat got exactly what they needed from the NBA's schedule makers to ensure that they are able to get the Giannis Antetokounmpo era off on the right foot. During their first 11 games of the season, Miami will only play four teams that made the postseason last year.
In theory, that won't guarantee anything for the Heat, but it does give them a favorable start to the season, which, in turn, will put them in a perfect position to get off to a hot start.
Getting off to a quick start could end up being one big indicator of whether this season will be a success or not. Especially with how competitive the Eastern Conference is expected to be this season, if Miami is going to have any shot at finishing with a top-three seed, they're going to need to ace this first exam to begin the new campaign.
Heat's first 11 games will set them up for success or failure this season
Here's how those 11 games will break down:
• Wed, Oct. 21: vs. Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m.
• Fri, Oct. 23: vs. Pistons, 8 p.m.
• Sat, Oct. 24: at Hornets, 6 p.m.
• Mon, Oct. 26: vs. Mavericks, 7:30 p.m.
• Wed, Oct. 28: at Hawks, 7 p.m.
• Fri, Oct. 30: vs. Pacers, 8 p.m. (NBA Cup)
• Mon, Nov. 2: at Lakers, 10 p.m.
• Wed, Nov. 4: at Clippers, 10:30 p.m.
• Thu, Nov. 5: at Warriors, 10 p.m.
• Sun, Nov. 8: at Kings, 9 p.m.
• Tue, Nov. 10: at Jazz, 9 p.m.
And, sure, this may be an overreaction to a certain extent, but there's no question that the Heat are going to be viewed differently depending on how this first stretch of the season goes. The Heat will be viewed a lot differently if they're 8-3 after this stretch compared to 6-5, or worse.
The Heat have every opportunity to send a strong message out of the gate
In other words, Giannis and the Heat will have the opportunity to send a strong message with this favorable schedule to begin the season.
With all the new faces on the roster, Miami may need every bit of this "gift" from the league to get things right. It's not just about implementing Giannis into the rotation. Let's not forget that the Heat lost five rotation players from last year's team.
In their place, Erik Spoelstra and the Heat will need to find some level of comfort for Giannis, Bobby Portis, Tim Hardaway Jr., and likely two more newcomers who will be signed before the start of training camp.
The league did do the Heat a big favor by giving them a soft opening schedule, but the onus still falls on Miami to make lemonade out of it. It's far from a foregone conclusion that they will, but there's no question they're set up for a strong first few weeks of the regular season.
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