Former NBA Coach Says Miami Heat Are Nothing More Than Bottom Playoff Team

teacher_omar@yahoo.com'
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The Miami Heat are looking to make the 2020 NBA Playoffs after failing to land one of the final playoff spots last season.

However, former NBA head coach Sam Mitchell believes the Heat won’t be a top playoff contender as presently constructed.

“[Jimmy] Butler is one of the top two-way players in the league,” Mitchell said recently.

But for all of Butler’s talents, the ex-Toronto Raptors head coach believes Miami “has to add something” if it wants to avoid being at the bottom of the playoff seedings in the Eastern Conference.

A four-time All-Star, Butler averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game last season for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers. As good as he is, Butler will have to be surrounded with better quality players if the Heat hope to be competitive in the postseason.

One of the key players that Miami is looking to move before the trade deadline is point guard Goran Dragic, whose expiring contract could entice some teams to give up an All-Star caliber player.

Dragic played in only 36 games last season, but he could be healthy enough this year to play major minutes.

If the Heat find a taker for the 2013-14 Most Improved Player in exchange for a big-time star, the Heat could possibly be among the East’s elite this upcoming season.

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Omar is a freelance writer who has followed the NBA for more than 30 years. Prior to the Internet, he devoured every reading material he could find on the game from newspaper articles to books and magazines. He became a Heat fan the moment they acquired Tim Hardaway and his killer crossover, and lamented not seeing him and Alonzo Mourning win a championship. Seeing Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh play in Miami was a surreal moment for him and more so after they validated the Decision with back-to-back championships. He is ecstatic to cover Miami basketball for Heat Nation.