There are very few who could have predicted the success the Miami Heat have had this postseason. The Heat have shocked the world with their dominance by making it to the NBA Finals in a convincing manner.
The shock of the Heat’s success comes from them barely sneaking into the postseason. They finished with the eighth-best record in the Eastern Conference, leading them to participate in the play-in games to solidify a playoff spot. The Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls in a game that went down to the wire to secure the eighth seed in this year's playoffs.
In game one of the first round, the Heat came out swinging against the Milwaukee Bucks. Their performance in the game would set the tone for their approach for the rest of the postseason. Jimmy Butler’s will to win has permeated throughout the entire team. The Heat have taken on the personality and toughness of their leader. They have been consistent with their approach to outwork and outsmart each opponent they have played against on their road to the finals.
In the regular season, the Miami Heat showed no signs of being a championship-caliber team. Their success as an eighth seed is an anomaly. Less than three teams have made the finals or have won a championship as the eighth seed. The Miami Heat have defied all logic by taking their game to a completely different level.
Jimmy, better yet known as ‘Himmy’ Butler, continues to play at a high level of basketball. He’s impressed everyone in the basketball world with how he has raised and maintained his level of play.
The Heat's toughest competition in the East came during the Conference Finals. There were many peaks and valleys. The way the Miami Heat played in the first three games was impressive. They gave themselves a 3-0 lead over the Celtics. The Celtics did not go away without a fight. Boston chipped away each game and tied the series to force a game seven. Despite the Celtics making the series competitive after being down 3-0, Miami handled them without resistance in game seven. Securing themselves a spot in the NBA Finals.
The challenge that the Heat have next, will be a talk task. The Denver Nuggets have dominated the postseason. Their dominance has been against tougher opponents. They will have fresh legs as they have been waiting more than a week for the Eastern Conference Finals to commence. The Nuggets will present matchup challenges at several positions. Despite how this series plays out, the Miami Heat have had a successful season. They battled each round and have left no doubt that they are the best team in the East.
Will the Miami Heat put together four wins against the Nuggets? It will be a difficult task for them to do, but from what we know of the Heat is that they will battle. For all the pundits that are writing them off, they should think twice before doing so. The Heat have shown the entire world that they mean business. They have shown that they can win against anyone in the league. Tonight will be the tip-off of the Finals. It will be a matchup worth watching. Both teams have something to prove.