When the Miami Heat signed Klay Thompson in August, I wrote about why the Boston Celtics shouldn't be scared of them or look at them as real threats, even given the Giannis Antetokounmpo acquisition. Here's what I said:
"As for the Heat, their roster is still a questionable fit on paper. The idea of a Giannis-Bam Adebayo pairing in the frontcourt is fun, but this isn't 2K. They don't complement each other well, at least on the offensive side of the ball, because they each do their best work in the paint. There are a lot of ways this duo could cause nightmares in Miami... just not for the right reasons."
"This Heat team is very solid, and at the very least, they should be a playoff team next season. But they're also not in a great position to truly compete for a championship (questionable depth and fit, banking on Giannis staying healthy, and they are objectively not a top-tier team in the East). ... I've learned to never doubt an Erik Spoelstra-led team, but it's hard for me to see the vision here."
Not to toot my horn (we are just one week into the season; there is still a ton of basketball left; Paul George has still played in 100% of his games this season), but so far, everything I thought could happen has happened. The Heat are 0-3, and they look abysmal.
All of Miami's concerns are real, and even at whatever its absolute peak is going to be, the Celtics shouldn't be scared.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's Heat are not real threats to the Celtics
Boston has real competition in the East as it looks to send a statement in the post-Jaylen Brown era.
The Detroit Pistons beat the Celtics in the season opener and are 3-0. The new-look Philadelphia 76ers are 3-1 (their one loss came against Detroit, but they didn't have Joel Embiid or VJ Edgecombe). The Toronto Raptors have Kawhi Leonard again. The Indiana Pacers have Tyrese Haliburton back (and, trust me, he is BACK). The New York Knicks are 0-3, but they're still the reigning champions.
Not to mention teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Washington Wizards, who Celtics fans should monitor for the rest of the season.
The Heat don't deserve to be on that list. Every concern people had about them has been real. The Antetokounmpo-Bam Adebayo pairing has been clunky. They have zero shot creation outside of Antetokounmpo. The spacing and three-point shooting have been a problem (their 30.3% 3FG is eighth-worst in the NBA)
And on top of all of that, what we all assumed would be some of the Heat's biggest strengths haven't been that at all. They are averaging 40 rebounds per game (third-fewest in the NBA), and their 121.4 DRTG is the fourth-worst in the NBA
The Heat should be better, but they won't be good enough
Erik Spoelstra has been arguably the best head coach in the game for years. If there's anybody who can figure all this out, it's him.
Miami's defense should improve. Its rebounding should improve. And it is important to remember how much roster turnover the Heat had in the offseason (even outside of the Giannis trade, they signed Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr.). It's going to take time for them to gel and find their groove.
But this was also questionable roster construction from the jump. Even if they do get better, how much better are they going to get? They are not built to go on a deep playoff run, and just like how Boston has a ton of competition in the East, that's especially true for the Heat.
The Celtics have had the Heat's number in recent years (they're 9-1 against them in their last 10 regular-season matchups, not including eliminating them in five games in the first round of the 2024 Playoffs), and fans shouldn't expect that to change this year.
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