Stephen A. Smith says Miami Heat could lose in 1st round of playoffs to Toronto Raptors or Brooklyn Nets - Heat Nation
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Stephen A. Smith says Miami Heat could lose in 1st round of playoffs to Toronto Raptors or Brooklyn Nets

Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker and Kyrie Irving Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat have hit somewhat of a rough patch lately, as the team has lost four of its last seven games.

To add insult to injury, tempers flared on the Heat sideline during Wednesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.

The squad still holds the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 47-26 record, but Miami isn’t playing its best basketball right now, and that needs to change quickly.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith thinks Miami should be worried about drawing either the Brooklyn Nets or Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. According to Smith, both of those teams are capable of beating the Heat.

“If the seventh and eighth seed truly ends up being Brooklyn and Toronto, Miami will face one of them,” Smith said. “And both of those teams could beat Miami if they show up and Miami does not.”

The Eastern Conference is wide open this season, with contending teams scattered throughout the postseason picture. While earning the No. 1 seed is typically great news for any team, nabbing the top spot in the East this season might not result in much of a reward at all.

If the Heat end up securing the No. 1 spot, there are a few different pesky teams they could end up having to face in the first round of the playoffs. The Nets are arguably at the top of that list. Having to deal with an extremely talented Brooklyn team in the first round would be a brutal draw for Miami.

At the end of the day, it’s still too early to spend much time trying to predict how the playoff picture will shake out in the East. For now, the Heat’s top priority should be to merely get things back on track and head into the postseason with some positive momentum.

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