Five Things That Must Happen for the Miami Heat to Reach the NBA Finals

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2. Play Team Basketball

Justise Winslow and Hassan Whiteside

As mentioned earlier, Miami has done an excellent job of moving the ball as of late. The team consistently sees four or five players scoring in double-digits. That has become the true offensive identity of the team.

At times, Miami loses focus and turns to isolation play through Dwyane Wade or Johnson. This is not the way for Miami. With such a formidable collection of talent, speed, size and strength, the key to victory for Miami is getting everyone involved. The higher the Heat’s assist total is at the end of each game, the better chance of victory. Playing true team basketball, like the Spurs in San Antonio, has proven to be a winning formula over the years, as opposed to letting guys be selfish and play hero ball when the game is on the line.

Team basketball also refers to team defense. Defense wins championships and Miami knows that. That’s why they’ve stressed a focus on the defensive end ever since the season kicked off. As a team, Miami holds opponents to a mere 98.4 points per game, good for fifth-best in the league. They must continue to play lock-down defense in order to advance.

Next: Win Individual Matchups

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Grant is a life-long Miami Heat fan hailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His earliest Heat memories involve Eddie Jones going off on opponents and hoping he'd become the next Michael Jordan. When that didn't pan out, a guy named Dwyane Wade came to Miami and Grant's fandom turned to obsession. He graduated with an English degree from the University of Central Florida and currently resides in Los Angeles.