The Miami Heat have a two-game lead right now for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and they might end up facing the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs.
The Nets are currently the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they could move to the No. 7 seed by way of the league’s play-in tournament.
One Eastern Conference scout doesn’t love a potential Heat versus Nets matchup for Miami.
“If I’m Miami, I don’t want to see Brooklyn in the first round,” the scout told FOX Sports’ Ric Bucher. “I’m a big believer in how teams play on the road and how they finish the season. Could Brooklyn do what Atlanta did and surprise everyone? I can’t count them out.”
The Nets have one of the best superstar duos in the NBA in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, but injuries and availability issues have set the team back in the playoff race this season.
If healthy, Durant and the Nets are a force to be reckoned with, especially if guard Ben Simmons is able to play for the team in the playoffs. Simmons has yet to make his Nets debut as he recovers from a back injury.
The Heat have won five straight games to really separate themselves in a crowded Eastern Conference, but it appears they may not be rewarded with an easy matchup in the first round.
Miami has a balanced attack on offense, with six different players averaging double-digit points per game, but even that may not be enough if Durant takes over playoff games like he has in the past.
It’s hard to disagree with the scout. The Nets would be a much more challenging matchup in the first round than the No. 7 or No. 8 seed usually is in the playoffs.
However, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry and the rest of the Heat are surely ready for whatever comes their way during the postseason.
