How many NBA teams have a real chance to win the Eastern Conference?

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MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 06: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat high fives Bam Adebayo #13 against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Arena on January 06, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

5. Miami Heat

Had the Miami Heat not won the Eastern Conference last year, they’d be in the honorable mentions here.

The Heat stumbled out to a 7-14 start this season, largely because of injuries and COVID-19-related absences, although they’ve since won two straight. Jimmy Butler has already missed 12 games, Tyler Herro has missed seven, and Avery Bradley is now expected to be sidelined 3-4 weeks with a strained right calf, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

When (if?) the Heat get back to full strength, they should begin to more closely resemble the team that upset the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics en route to the 2020 NBA Finals. However, injuries aren’t solely to blame for their slow start.

With Meyers Leonard set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, per Charania, the Heat are alarmingly thin up front behind Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk. Jae Crowder’s departure in free agency left them without a reliable stretch 4, which limits their lineup versatility. They’ve also been frigid from 3-point range, shooting only 35.5 percent as a team (21st leaguewide).

The Heat have a number of potentially expiring contracts to dangle at the trade deadline — all four of Bradley, Leonard, Andre Iguodala and Goran Dragic have team options for 2021-22 — so their roster likely isn’t a finished product. If they can shore up their weak spots around Butler and Adebayo, they shouldn’t be counted out among the Eastern Conference contenders.

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