3 realistic goals for Miami Heat in 2021 NBA Playoffs

1. Shock the world with another underdog run to NBA Finals

The Miami Heat have their flaws but so does every other team in the Eastern Conference. The Nets have looked especially vulnerable when any of their big three are out and their defense remains an enormous question mark. The 76ers’ have been much improved all season but everything about the team — from Embiid’s health to his chemistry with Ben Simmons, to Tobias Harris’ career year feels fragile.

The Heat have struggled on offense at times this season and there is still a lot of creation weight on the shoulders of Jimmy Butler. But they have a top-10 defense with an even higher ceiling when everyone is healthy and just enough weird offensive skill sets to leverage mismatches in specific series. The Heat have faced long odds before and they’ve made the most of them. They could do it again.