This Trend Suggests Erik Spoelstra, Heat Will Lock Up No. 1 Seed in East
By Peter Dewey
Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat hold the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference through the NBA’s All-Star break, and there’s a good chance they stay in that position the rest of the regular season.
Miami has been impressive in the 2021-22 campaign, as it has dealt with injuries to Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, but it still remains atop the conference. The Heat have finally gotten all three players back healthy, and they’ll begin the second half of the season with a 38-21 record (.644 winning percentage).
According to Tankathon, Miami has the 15th easiest schedule the rest of the season, but Spoelstra’s chops for coaching after the All-Star break is what should really make bettors bullish on Miami.
The Heat have +1200 odds to win the NBA Finals this season at WynnBET, and our own Ben Heisler has been all over the Heat as a team to buy low on since back in January. I’m here to show that there is even more validity to his claim.
Erik Spoelstra’s Heat Teams Have Been Elite After the All-Star Game
In his coaching career, Erik Spoelstra has coached 369 games after the All-Star break. He has an extremely impressive 227-142 record in those games, good for a winning percentage of .615, according to Statmuse.
If Miami can finish the season in a similar manner, there’s a good chance that the Heat will be able to hold off several of the teams close to them in the Eastern Conference.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets all play one of the top-13 toughest schedules the rest of the season, with the Bucks and Bulls coming in at Nos. 1 and 2.
If Miami can stay healthy at this point in the season, it should have a chance to lock up this No. 1 spot. Plus, the Heat could be adding a key player in Victor Oladipo down the stretch of the season as he recovers from injury.
Spoelstra and the Heat have already gone to an NBA Finals over the past few seasons, and if they get the No. 1 seed and a favorable draw, there are certainly a dangerous team at +1200 to win it all.