It has been seven years since the Miami Heat last missed the playoffs before this most recent season.
Between the time the Heat last missed the postseason and now, the Heat have been to six consecutive postseasons, including four NBA Finals appearances and two NBA Championships.
There have been up-and-downs along the way, but for the most part, the past half-decade for the Heat has been better than that of just about every franchise in the league.
The 2015 postseason won’t feature the Heat and that’s not a good thing at all.
Here are five reasons why the playoffs aren’t the same without Miami:
1. Us-Against-the-World Champions
During the Heat’s mini-dynasty from 2010 until 2014, the franchise was the team to beat.
After signing LeBron James and Chris Bosh during the 2010 offseason, the team transformed from a playoff afterthought into an NBA powerhouse.
During James’ four seasons in South Beach, Miami advanced to the NBA Finals in each one of those years and won the championship twice. Along the way, James was named MVP twice and won the Finals MVP award in 2012 and 2013.
It is no coincidence that when super teams are assembled, it is good for the product at hand. This especially holds true in the NBA, which has been dominated by dynasties since the 80’s—the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics of the 80’s, the Chicago Bulls of the 90’s and the Lakers of the 2000’s.
The Heat were that “dynasty” of the early 2010’s and every non-Heat fan in the league wanted to see Miami lose and fail.
TNT analyst and former NBA great Charles Barkley made it a regular habit to take shots at Miami during the “Big Three” era. He made this clear in one of his comments during the Heat’s 2011 postseason run:
“Listen, if the Miami Heat were playing the Washington Generals I would pick the Washington Generals. It’s something about that team that annoys me….They just a whiny bunch and I can’t root for them.”
There is no such team to “hate” in this year’s postseason, a far cry from the past four years when the Heat was that team to hate.
Next: Two Top All-Stars Missing from Postseason
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2. Two Top All-Stars Missing from Postseason
The NBA is a league that is driven by stars.
Whereas the NFL is driven by the brand itself rather than by players such as Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, the NBA is the exact opposite. Guys like LeBron, Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade are what helps the league establish itself as a global presence.
Because the Heat won’t be seen on a basketball court during this year’s postseason, two top players in Wade and Bosh won’t be playing in the playoffs in 2015.
Wade has been one of the top players in the league since being drafted in 2003. His jersey was the best seller for two years from 2005 until 2007. He’s a former Finals MVP and is an 11-time NBA All-Star.
The same holds true for Bosh who is a 10-time All-Star.
Having players with those kinds of resumes missing from the big dance only hurts the entertainment value of the product.
Next: Most Successful Eastern Conference Franchise in Recent Memory
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3. Most Successful Eastern Conference Franchise in Recent Memory
Since 2005, there have been just four teams representing the East in the NBA Finals other than the Heat—the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Celtics and Orlando Magic. Of those franchises, Miami is the only team to have gone to the finals on more than two occasions.
Despite the Heat being such a young franchise (27 seasons), they have accomplished a lot in just a little amount of time. Their three championships represent the fifth-highest total in NBA history.
It has become an annual visual to watch the Heat face off in classic rivalries with teams such as the San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and Celtics in the playoffs.
Due to the absence of Miami from the postseason, you won’t be seeing a continuation of the aforementioned rivalries.
Next: Heat Not Having a Chance to Defend Its East Crown
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4. Heat Not Having a Chance to Defend Its East Crown
Perhaps the worst part about the Heat not being in the 2015 postseason is the fact that they won’t be able to defend their Eastern Conference champion crown.
For the past four seasons, Miami has represented the East in the NBA Finals. Before the Heat did it between the years of 2011 through 2014, the last team to represent their conference in the finals in four consecutive seasons was the Celtics from 1984 to 1987.
The 2014-15 Heat are the first team since the 2004-05 Lakers to miss the playoffs a year after advancing to the finals.
Following Miami’s regular season finale victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, head coach Erik Spoelstra complimented his team in spite of the 37-45 record to conclude the season: “This was probably one of the more deceiving non-playoff teams because of all the circumstances.”
Next: Not Being Able to Witness Cavs-Heat in Postseason
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5. Not Being Able to Witness Cavs-Heat in Postseason
Once LeBron bolted Miami for Cleveland during the summer of 2014, the first thought that popped into every NBA fan’s head was the possibility of James’ current team facing off with his former team in the postseason.
Both teams were evenly matched during their regular season series, splitting four contests with the Heat emerging victorious when they were at relatively full strength in a Christmas Day showdown with the Cavs. In a 101-91 victory over Cleveland, Wade led the Heat with 31 points in James’ return to Miami.
Spoelstra had nothing but positive things to say about his former player following the game:
“Couple of the best in this generation (James and Wade). Spectacular. I wish I could sit back and enjoy it like a fan, because it’s just fantastic basketball. … However long these two guys play, you’ll get your money’s worth.”
While it seemed like a realistic possibility for the majority of the season, it just wasn’t meant to be. This was in spite of Cleveland holding the No. 2 seed at the same time Miami held the No. 7 seed for the majority of the post All-Star break. Had the standings remained the same at the conclusion of the regular season, the Cavaliers would have faced off with the Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
Although we won’t witness James versus Wade/Bosh in this year’s postseason, here’s to hoping the playoffs next year gives us the Heat versus Cavs.
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