Former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy believes that the Miami Heat have what it takes to succeed once the 2019-20 season starts back up next month.
“I love everything about the Miami Heat team,” Van Gundy said on WQAM-560’s “Joe Rose Show” recently. “Erik Spoelstra to me is a Hall of Fame coach that for some reason doesn’t get the national acclaim as he should. The guy is brilliant. He maximizes his team every year. I love the players they pick. I love how hard they play, how intelligent they play.
“Because of their youth, their shooting and their persistence, they will be a mentally strong team coming into this playoff scenario. I think they absolutely are going to play well right off the bat.”
The former coach turned ESPN analyst isn’t wrong in his praise of Spoelstra.
The Miami head coach has had his team over .500 in 10 of the 12 seasons that he has been at the helm. The Heat currently are 41-24 and the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Led by veteran Jimmy Butler, Miami is one of the most well-rounded teams in the league, with eight different players averaging over 11.3 points per game this season.
The Heat will look to make it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014 when the NBA resumes play on July 31.
